A Warrior's Spark
by Stargazer1987
Summary: This is my take on Bumblebee's early life. How he came to grow up with the Autobots from younglinghood after Optimus rescues him from certain death and the events that led him to become an Autobot scout. All in all this story is about Bumblebee yearning to find his warrior's spark. Please R&R, no flames plz!
1. Tragedy and Rescue

Author's Note: Hello! This is a story featuring a very young Bumblebee and his life's desire that led him to become a scout/warrior in the Autobot ranks. I know there are probably plenty of those already out there but I still wanted to write my own! So please leave me a nice review! No flames please. Only constructive criticism.

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers they belong to Hasbro. The only characters that are mine are Bumblebee's parents unless they exist in a different Hasbro fandom in which case I don't own them either.

 **CHAPTER 1**

A loud explosion thundered in the night, jolting a tiny youngling awake. Pounding feet and anxiously whispered words that he couldn't quite decipher beyond the closed door reached his young audios. This room served as his sleeping quarters, shared by his two loving roommates. It was a place where his little spark had always remained nestled in warmth and safety. Two adult Cybertronians entered. One of them was a beautiful, slender, aqua blue and yellow femme and the other a strong, gray and yellow- framed, serious looking mech.

Bumblebee chirped at the sight of his progenitors. He had just _barely_ graduated from sparkling to youngling status only a very short time ago. He was an extremely small creature with sensitive senses and still retained a very fragile body. His little yellow frame shook ever so slightly as the 'booming' sounds beyond their neighborhood began to intensify. He was terrified…

His mother scooped him up from the recharge berth and held him, his small body engulfed within her loving arms. She whispered words of comfort as Bumblebee watched his father load a glowing blue clip of ammo into an assault rifle as the explosions steadily grew louder. Since the war began months ago, it was necessary for civilians to take precautionary measures. Beyond in the distance, flashes of light could be seen through the tinted glass window of the room as the tell-tale signs of exchanging gunfire lit up the night.

"Thunderbolt, we need to leave now," the shaky voice of his mother stated grimly as her spark thrummed with the maternal instinct to protect her child from the growing threat.

"No. With the fighting already so close they will only run us down. Take Bumblebee downstairs and lock yourselves in the bunker. Here, Brightflame. Take this, just in case," he commanded firmly as he handed his spark-mate the small blaster pistol.

The mech leaned down and tenderly kissed the top of Bumblebee's yellow helm eliciting a soft click from the little one, sparkling speech he had yet to fully outgrow. His father kissed his mother and then his father ran a gentle finger against Bumblebee's cheek plate in soft affection. Little Bee reached out and grabbed his large finger with tiny, grasping digits and hugged it against his tiny chest.

"Don't go!" he squeaked as he turned watery blue optics up at him.

"I have to son. Stay with your mother until I return."

With those final parting words, Thunderbolt gently broke free of Bumblebee's grasp and ran out of the door with all haste. He took up a defensive post and aimed his assault rifle at the front door, knowing that the enemy forces would undoubtedly come sweeping through to ransack the place. Thunderbolt was more than ready to lay down his life in the defense of his family. He prayed to Primus that his wife and child remain undiscovered as the battle steadily grew closer. Propaganda had recently streamed through news vids as both Autobot and Decepticon alike attempted to recruit new warriors to their opposing causes. He never imagined the war would spread this far so quickly. Soon the war was raging on his front porch. It sounded more like a massacre than a battle. Thunderbolt wondered if there was only one faction sweeping through their neighborhood. He heard the screams of other civilians out in the streets that were quickly silenced from a maelstrom of blaster fire and grenades that shook the very ground. He also heard the rally cries of the invaders, the shouting, and the screams of the injured or dying. Thunderbolt kept his three additional clips of ammo next to him and upturned a table to crouch behind as added protection. The enemy would have no choice but to kick the door down and once they did, Thunderbolt would gladly greet them with a friendly hail of bullets in heartfelt welcome.

-Meanwhile-

Brightflame ran with Bumblebee snuggled against her chassis downstairs to their underground emergency hideout that was carefully concealed beneath their entertainment center. She triggered a hidden lever and the entertainment center slid sideways to reveal stairs. The moment her feet landed on the very first step, small circular dots of light illuminated the stairway and marked the path below. This emergency safe-house was stockpiled with energon rations and medical supplies that could last them a few solar cycles.

Brightflame really wished her husband had joined them downstairs but he was stubborn and refused. Thunderbolt insisted that it was his duty to protect them from the invading forces. He used to be a guard at the Iacon hall of records years before he met her, so he had learned basic fighting skills and had become a decent marksman. He was currently a civilian construction worker. He switched careers once his guard duty robbed him too much time away from his loved ones. Thunderbolt never regretted leaving his former job once he settled down with his family. All they wanted to do was live in peace. Sadly it looked like their miniscule measure of peace would be cruelly robbed from them.

-Upstairs-

Thunderbolt remained steadfast when he heard enemy soldiers slowly begin to break down the door. He knew they were Decepticons. News reached his audios days before concerning their ruthless and bloodthirsty nature. They had no qualms killing anyone who got in their way. Not even sparklings and younglings were safe. Age no longer mattered in this newfound, hellish war of theirs. Thunderbolt and Brightflame chose to remain neutral. While they were no friends of the Decepticons, they still wanted no part in the war regardless if the Autobot cause was just.

Now it looked like Thunderbolt was forced to choose a side as the door was violently kicked down. He highly doubted Autobots were sparkless enough to ransack housing units so he wasted no time in showering his newly arrived guests with a hail of bullets and smirked with satisfaction when shocked and pained-filled cries reached his audios. Apparently they weren't expecting any sort of resistance. Well, they were in for a rude awakening. The enemy troops that had been mowed down and had fallen within the doorway now blocked the entrance temporarily slowing the advance. It didn't take long for his first clip to empty and he deftly hit the release button on the handle. Before the empty clip could hit the ground, a new one was already locked and loaded and the muzzle of the weapon lit up the gloomy shadows of the room in blazing glory once again. Soon he had to retreat further into his home as what appeared to be endless waves of Decepticons stormed the place. One of their blaster bolts painfully struck his left shoulder but he refused to surrender.

Thunderbolt cursed once he had finally run completely out of ammo. He successfully decimated what appeared to be two squadrons of Decepticon troops so far. Twelve bodies littered the inside of his house, doorway, and porch. He did not take any pleasure in taking lives but knew it had been a necessary self-defense. His spark thrummed with fear when he was completely surrounded within the confines of his living room. He stood in a fighting stance ready to resume the fight in hand-to-hand combat, which was rather foolish since it was universal what became of an unarmed soul against a heavily armed one. All of the enemy soldiers clicked their weapons on automatic and the defeated mech prepared to meet his Maker. To Thunderbolt's confusion, none of them fired their weapons. That's when he heard large, slow, clanking footsteps enter his home. The troops straightened to attention and saluted once they caught sight of their fearless leader.

Thunderbolt widened his optics at the strange mech. He was large in size and was a solid metallic silver and had spiked armor. The enemy leader looked like a demon from the pit as he locked burning red optics on him. The fearsome mech surveyed his surroundings, took in the carnage, and then released a very harsh, grating laugh as he began to clap.

"Well done! Well done. What is your name, champion?"

"Thunderbolt. Who's asking?"

"My name is Megatron, leader of the Decepticons. I must say you have impressed me today! Out of this entire district _you_ were the only spark willing enough to fight! The rest of your whimpering, cowardly, neutral race have submissively bowed before me."

"They were slaughtered, you mean," Thunderbolt scowled with disdain.

"Only those foolish enough to challenge me personally. The others with some common sense have wisely chosen to follow my leadership. I'm taking new management of this sector. What of you? I see you wear no Autobot insignia. Why were you desperate enough to offer us resistance?" Megatron narrowed optics suspiciously.

"I have the right to protect my home from intruders such as yourselves."

"Ah. I see. Do you live here alone?"

Thunderbolt didn't waste time hesitating in his reply. His family's lives were at stake.

"Yes."

"I don't believe you," Megatron sneered at him. The Decepticon leader made a twirling hand gesture, signaling his troops to subdue Thunderbolt and to search the housing unit for any other survivors. The Decepticons spread out and began to tear apart his family's home.

"I swear to you, there is no one else here! You are wasting your time in this futile search."

"If you are truly alone, then a search of the premises should be of no concern to you. Unless you are hiding something from me?"

Thunderbolt shook his head in the negative.

"No."

"Good."

At long last one of the Decepticon troops stood before Megatron with a salute and reported.

"My lord, we found evidence that at least two others dwelt here."

Thunderbolt's optics widened when the Decepticon in question handed Megatron two very vital items that should have been kept hidden. There was a holo-picture of himself with his spark-mate and his infant son's soft, yellow blanket.

"You thought you could deceive me?" Megatron chuckled darkly as his fiery red optics burned holes through his captive's golden ones.

Thunderbolt remained silent and turned his head away in shame.

"You would make a fine Decepticon Thunderbolt. I appeal to you. Join our cause and your family… _wherever_ _they_ _are_ _currently_ _hiding_ …may live in peace. Refuse and all of you shall die. Starting with the little one once I find them…" Megatron grinned darkly as he ripped Bumblebee's soft yellow blanket in half as a silent warning.

"You say you will allow my family to live in peace and yet you threaten their very lives! Why should I trust you?"

"Because Thunderbolt…I know where they are hiding…" Megatron's optics scanned the room ominously.

Thunderbolt hoped to Primus that the evil Decepticon leader was bluffing.

"I told you! They aren't here!"

"Oh really? Then why do you continue to anxiously persist that you are alone?"

"Because I AM!"

Megatron growled as he stalked forward. He grabbed Thunderbolt's neck with a sharply clawed hand, lifted him up in the air with amazing strength, and began to choke him. Thunderbolt's neck struts slowly bent in and a vital energon line was squeezed cutting off the vital blood flow that was meant to pump into his processor, making him dizzy.

"Do not take me for a fool! Now listen carefully. The decision is very simple. Join me. Or they die."

"Your threats… do not… sway me!" Thunderbolt managed to choke out as he grasped at Megatron's hand around his throat. He felt confident enough to say those words since his family's whereabouts continued to elude them.

"We shall see," Megatron released him. He looked at a nearby Decepticon and gave the order.

"Evacuate the premises and return to the streets!"

The Decepticons marched out, obeying his command. They left their dead where they lay lifeless on the floor and hauled a protesting Thunderbolt out as well. Once they were clear of the dwelling Megatron was handed a deadly object.

"Let's see if you were telling the truth, Thunderbolt. Let's see if your wife and child are willing to come out to greet us…"

Without any hesitation, Megatron threw a large grenade through the shattered door where it bounced and rolled before coming to a complete stop just a few feet shy of the entertainment center. Thunderbolt gaped with optics widened in complete horror when the grenade exploded. He couldn't stop the traitorous words from slipping past his lip components and outstretched a hand as he struggled against the two Decepticon warriors holding him back.

"NO! BRIGHTFLAME!"

-Down in the emergency bunker—

Brightflame cradled Bumblebee to her chassis and locked them both in the safe-house. Though muffled, they could still hear faint traces of what was occurring upstairs. They heard the blaster fire and screams, the thudding of wounded or lifeless bodies, the pounding of multiple footsteps and the crashing sounds of things being smashed and thrown around. Bumblebee whimpered softly although his mother sought to soothe her distressed child.

"Shhh…its' okay dearest one. Your daddy is going to be fine. We just have to be very quiet. Can you do that for mommy?"

Bumblebee softly clicked and chirped in response. He snuggled further into his mother's embrace and buried his face against her chassis. He pressed an audio against her chest plating and listened to her spark beating. It brought him a miniscule measure of comfort and did help to soothe some of his fears. He was distressed however when he felt the bond with his father disappear. Bumblebee was confused and couldn't understand. He looked up at his mother's face who was now glancing down at him.

"It's okay. We just can't feel daddy because he doesn't want us to be scared."

Brightflame knew that her husband bond-blocked them for a reason. Chances were, he was being interrogated if the current silence was anything to go by.

"We just need to keep being quiet."

The tiny youngling nodded in understanding and curled up again. His mother rubbed his back panels with a soothing touch. His internal systems revved with content and he soon found himself drifting into recharge. His blissful rest was shattered minutes later when a loud explosion shook their home, causing debris to begin raining down on them as their unit began to cave in and collapse on itself.

Both mother and son screamed.

Brightflame wasted no time in shielding her only child from the falling wreckage. She opened up the storage vault that was built out of reinforced cortonium, one of the strongest alloys on the planet, and shoved her youngling inside.

"No matter what happens, no matter what you hear…you STAY IN HERE!" His mother cried as she moved to lock her son inside.

The last thing little Bumblebee saw of his mother as she tried to close the door, was the rest of the ceiling caving in on her.

-Outside—

Thunderbolt sagged to his knees with a scream and wept as he felt his wife's spark extinguish. He could faintly feel his son and was happy to know that he was still alive but there was no way in the pit he was going to share that information with his current captors. It was best he make them believe they had succeeded in killing both his wife and little Bumblebee.

"…Primus no…you…you killed them…why?" Thunderbolt brought his hands to his face as he openly wept.

Megatron was greatly disgusted by his whimpering. Love, compassion, and mercy were weaknesses in his eyes.

"Now that your family is dead and you have fewer distractions, perhaps it will be easier for you to make the right choice. Join me now…or you too shall meet an even worse demise."

Thunderbolt rose back up to his feet and nodded in what appeared to be silent resignation as his shoulders sagged.

"You win…I'll follow you," Thunderbolt stared at him with dull optics in heartbroken defeat.

The leader of the Decepticons seemed to buy it. Megatron turned his back on him and began to walk away, silently signaling his troops to follow him with a simple hand gesture.

"But I will follow you on one condition…"

"Oh, and what pray tell could that be?" the leader of the Decepticons questioned as he turned around to face the bold spirited mech. Suddenly without warning Thunderbolt's entire demeanor changed and his face contorted into one of rage.

"I'LL FOLLOW YOU INTO THE ALLSPARK!" Thunderbolt bellowed with a righteous fury.

With a furious roar Thunderbolt elbowed the Decepticon in the face to his right that was holding him and turned to punch the other in the face. He over-powered a third and grabbed his rifle and shot in Megatron's direction. The towering behemoth smirked when the stray shots intended for him wildly missed. His smirk turned into a dark grin as his troops subdued Thunderbolt again but not after the defiant mech had killed two more of his warriors.

"You truly do have a fighting spirit, just like me. You don't give up easily. Your little act of vengeance however, was a valiant effort on your part Thunderbolt but it was in vain. I suppose your real answer is ' **No** ' then…am I right?" Megatron questioned with a dark chuckle as he slowly stalked closer to him.

"I'm nothing like you…and I will never be a Decepticon. That's a promise."

Thunderbolt saw his death approaching but wasn't going to beg for mercy no matter what the monster was about to do to him.

"It is almost going to be a shame to have to kill you Thunderbolt. You would have made a fine warrior. Sadly for you, that day will never come."

Megatron's sword slid out of his wrist as he stood before the doomed mech.

"Any last words before I end you?"

"My family…will be avenged."

"I'm afraid not. For there is no one here to avenge them for you," with those words Megatron thrust his sword through Thunderbolt's chassis and pierced his spark chamber without any warning. He yanked his sword out and the troops that were currently holding Thunderbolt's arms let him go. He fell to his knees with an anguished scream and brought a shaky hand up to his chest and looked down to see energon running out of the wound. His spark flickered dangerously as it slowly began to extinguish. Thunderbolt collapsed to the ground, seemingly lifeless. Megatron, having been satisfied that he dealt the killing blow turned to leave but stopped cold when a powerful voice rang out just behind him.

"MEGATRON! STOP!"

Megatron turned and snarled at the one who dared to challenge him.

"OPTIMUS!" the Decepticon leader hissed with fury.

A large platoon of Autobots stood behind Optimus and a few Autobot snipers were positioned on the rooftops of some of the crumbling buildings. They had the Decepticons surrounded much to Megtron's surprise. None of them had seen it coming for they were too preoccupied dealing with the defiant Thunderbolt. The Decepticon leader growled and felt his hate beginning to build as the gravity of his situation began to weigh heavily down upon him. This was supposed to be a grand victory in the name of the Decepticon cause! He conquered this sector single-handedly and really didn't want to forfeit this newfound, hard-earned Decepticon controlled area. If only he could get his clawed hands around Optimus Prime's wretched throat…

"Surrender Megatron…you are outnumbered."

The Decepticon leader hated to admit it but he was. Optimus Prime's force was triple the size of his own currently since that blasted Thunderbolt killed fourteen of his warriors. He wasn't about to let that stop him though…

"That matters not. I shall rid the universe of your wretched kind soon enough, with or without a legion of troops!"

"There are four Autobot snipers on the rooftops. Their sights are currently locked on your spark chamber. And Megatron…their aim is astronomically precise…" Optimus narrowed his optics as he growled through his battle mask.

"I own this sector Optimus Prime. If you want it, you'll have to fight for it!"

Megatron rolled clear out of the snipers' line of sight and ordered his troops to target the Autobot soldiers on the roof and then ordered them to move forward in an onward assault. The fighting didn't last very long and soon Megatron admitted defeat.

"You may have won today but I promise you…this district will be mine once again in due time. Until we meet again!"

Megatron and his last few Decepticons hastily retreated soon crossing the planetary border that separated their territory from the Autobots. Prowl, the Autobot tactician, went and stood beside his leader.

"Optimus, shouldn't we follow them? This could be our one and only chance to defeat Megatron once and for all!"

"No. We have more important matters to contend with."

Now that the Decepticons were completely gone, the caring troops began to search the neighborhood for any survivors.

Optimus surveyed the carnage with sad optics.

"We were too late. If only we had gotten here sooner…these people would have been saved."

An elder Autobot came to stand beside the Prime and replied in a soft, compassionate voice.

"No one could have foreseen this Optimus. We won't be able to win every battle…but it is still possible we can win the war. It isn't over yet."

"I don't disagree Ratchet…but I cannot condone the loss of a single innocent life. A life that could have been saved."

"Sir, over here!"

A young Autobot soldier shouted to get their attention.

"I found one!"

The two mechs ran over to get a better look at the survivor. Optimus prayed that the injured victim wasn't too substantially damaged. His hopes were shattered when he saw the gaping hole and a dangerously dim spark flickering within the mortally wounded chassis of a gray and yellow mech. The neutral mech's yellow optics flickered as he struggled to stay online. Optimus was baffled. He witnessed Megatron's cruel murderous act from far away and believed the mech to currently be dead. His snipers got there far sooner than the rest of his platoon but Optimus ordered his soldiers to stand down until he arrived on the scene personally in the event there were any other innocent civilians in the vicinity. He didn't want them getting caught in a crossfire.

The empathetic Autobot leader could tell that there was something vital that this mech needed to tell them.

Thunderbolt shakily and very weakly reached a hand up and grabbed the forearm of a kneeling Optimus.

"My…my son…lives."

This news startled Optimus and he felt his spark skip a beat. So there was potentially another survivor…it had to be a miracle after what this last short battle did to the landscape around them.

"Your son, where is he?" Optimus wanted to give the dying mech the benefit of the doubt. It was true that some parents when faced with the death of a child became delirious with denial and merely imagined that a spark bond still existed with the deceased.

The dying mech weakly pointed at a crumbling housing unit somewhere behind the Autobot leader.

"Autobots, clear that wreckage!" Optimus commanded firmly. He looked down at the slowly fading mech and gently grasped his hand with his own. The amount of terminated Decepticon warriors littering the area between the dying mech and the shattered remains of what Optimus assumed had to be his home, suggested that he had fought against the Decepticons.

"What is your name?"

"Thunderbolt."

"You fought bravely. Your son will be proud, soldier."

Bumblebee's father smiled weakly and for the first time since the war began…he did not protest the title that the Autobot leader granted him. It was strange. Now that he was passing into the next realm he could finally see the Autobots for what they truly were. They were freedom fighters. Protectors. Defenders. To Thunderbolt…he could clearly see that they also fought for love, compassion, and mercy. The Autobots…were heroes. He had one last dying wish but he had to rest optics on his tiny youngling one last time before he could request it.

Optimus remained at Thunderbolt's side while his Autobots continued to clear away the rubble. He could only hope that the dying mech's son was still alive…

-Underground—

A tiny youngling sobbed piteously within the small space he had beneath the rubble of the building. His body had been sheltered within the confines of the vault but some of the rubble had blocked the entrance, trapping him inside. It gave him a scary, claustrophobic feeling.

Bumblebee's spark felt like it had been ripped to shreds once he felt the death of his mother. She told him to be quiet no matter what but he was too frightened…especially after hearing that last battle. He stiffened and went still when he heard movement somewhere above him. Someone was digging. He was also afraid…his bond with his father was fading and was on the verge of snapping completely. Uncaring of the future consequences of his actions, he opened up his vocal capacitor and screamed shrilly while hot, energon tears continued to leak down his face. He curled up into a small ball and shivered. His young processor, still developing from sparkling to youngling, could hardly understand the horror that had just happened.

-Above ground—

"I heard something! I think there is another survivor down there!" one of the Autobots shouted as the wreckage was continually cleared away. Soon they looked down into a hole of sorts and could see a slightly dented storage vault of some kind. The loud wailing was coming from the object in question.

"BUMBLEBEE! MY SON!" Thunderbolt cried loudly with a strength he didn't know he still possessed in such a weakened state and attempted to sit up but Optimus kept him down with a gentle hand.

"My soldiers will rescue your son Thunderbolt, have no fear."

One of the young soldiers was able to slide down an incline and crawled through some of the wreckage while the other Autobots supported the remains of the continuously deteriorating structure to prevent another cave in while their friend was down there.

Soon the young Autobot soldier got down on hands and knees and was able to peer into the still standing metal structure where the cries had emanated from after removing the debris that blocked it. There curled up inside the vault was a very tiny, yellow plated youngling. The little one was sobbing with high pitched squeaks. He screamed shrilly when he spotted the strange mech peering in at him. He cried harder and tried to burrow his way further into the vault but there was nowhere left to go.

"Hey, little guy! My name is Jazz…it's okay. I'm not gonna hurt'cha," the strange mech smiled with genuine warmth.

The tiny, terrified youngling's screaming quieted down into spark-breaking sobs. He remained curled up in the back of the vault and eyed the stranger suspiciously.

"I promise I'm not gonna hurt ya, little guy! Why don't you come out with me? This place is very dangerous and might trap us both down here if we stay."

The tiny little one shook his head in the negative and remained where he was. He felt safe in the vault and everything else outside of it was dangerous and scary. How could he trust this stranger?

"What's your name?"

The terrified child remained silent for what felt like a long, agonizing moment but answered in a squeaky voice.

"Bee."

"Your daddy wants me to rescue you. Don't you want to see him again?"

At the thought of seeing his father again the little one perked up instantly and nodded with wide eyes. Jazz reached out a hand for the child to take. Bumblebee didn't trust him but he felt his daddy in his spark. His father was still alive so maybe this strange mech named Jazz really was a good guy. Once his tiny hand touched Jazz's larger palm, the Autobot wasted no time in quickly scooping the little one out. Jazz held a hand over the child's optics so that he was unable to see the image of his deceased mother half-buried in the large chunks of architecture. Bee whimpered softly. This was the first time he'd ever been held in the arms of a stranger. It was a little frightening. He yearned for his mother to hold him instead. He was still so young he didn't understand that his mother wasn't coming back. His spark still hurt tremendously from the broken bond and the pain brought fresh waves of tears to his optics. Jazz held the tiny youngling protectively against his chest as he quickly climbed up out of the hole. As soon as they made it out, the remainder of the home crumbled in, burying the basement and the vault within it.

The Autobots cheered at the successful rescue.

Ratchet, Prowl, and Optimus stood near Thunderbolt. He had mere minutes of life left. The CMO covered Thunderbolt's chest with a tarp to hide the damage done to him. There was no need to introduce the infant to more trauma. Bumblebee cried and squirmed to get down when he spotted his father laying on the ground. Jazz set him down right next to Thunderbolt and watched the exchange with sad optics.

Bumblebee was so overcome with a maelstrom of emotions that he was reduced to sparkling speech and clicked, chirped, and whirred as he was tenderly scooped up and held in the arms of his father. The tiny youngling could immediately tell that something was wrong with his daddy when his proginator didn't hold him to his chassis like he usually did.

"You hurt?" he squeaked while reaching out to touch his father's cheek plate with worry.

"Yes, my son. Daddy…argh…has to go now."

"Go where?" Bee's vents began to work overtime as he displayed signs of another crying episode. He was beyond frightened now. His father was the last of his family and the thought of him going away was unbearable.

"See these good people around us?"

The yellow youngling nodded.

"They…will take care of you… while I'm gone."

"Don't go!"

Bumblebee snuggled against his father and latched on. His father couldn't leave him! He just couldn't! He needed him!

"I have too."

"Why?" Bee's voice wavered as his lower lip began to tremble. The unshed tears in his optics began to fall again.

"Cause daddy got hurt by the bad people. But…these good people…are going to take care of you. Promise daddy that you will be good for them while I'm gone…"

"I promise…" Bee hiccupped as he wrapped his tiny hand around one of his father's large fingers.

"Good-bye, my son. Always remember…that mommy and daddy love you…"

Thunderbolt looked up with flickering optics to give a subtle nod to the one who rescued his son.

Jazz took the cue to gently remove the youngling from his father's side. The moment he was pulled away he released audio shattering shrieks and wails. He kicked and squirmed, trying to get loose. Once Bumblebee was out of sight Thunderbolt locked optics with Optimus Prime's azure ones and made his dying wish.

"P-please…take g-good care…of him. K-keep him safe…" Thunderbolt's vents wheezed as he struggled to get the words out.

Optimus Prime nodded his head. Thunderbolt made his intentions known during Bumblebee's rescue. The leader of the Autobots swore to the dying mech that he would care for his son personally. Optimus remained at his side until the end.

Bumblebee's audio piercing shriek broke the silence when he felt the bond with his father sever and heaved his overworked vents as his sobs turned into pained croons now that his energy levels were nearly depleted. The poor little thing had practically shorted out his vocal capacitor with all of that screaming. Optimus walked over and gently took the little one into his massive arms and rocked the distraught youngling. He gently massaged the child's cranial unit with loving fingers. He spoke calming, compassionate words and wanted more than anything to ease the tiny youngling's pain. It broke his spark to see one as small as him to suffer so terribly.

"Shh…there, there now. It's going to be alright. I'm going to take care of you like your daddy said. You are safe now," Optimus's comforting, baritone voice rumbled.

Bumblebee was reduced to soft clicks as his optics dimmed tiredly. He snuggled further into his new caretaker's warm chassis and when his audios heard the powerful thrumming of the Autobot leader's spark…he immediately felt safe again.

"Recharge, little one."

With one last, tiny click…Bumblebee was deep in recharge as his overworked body shut down into a much needed rest as the last of his energy drained away.

While Optimus had been comforting and coaxing the distressed youngling into recharge, his Autobots finished burying Bumblebee's parents. They then stood reverently in a quiet circle and held a small memorial for the child's deceased parents as well as the other 1,234 innocent lives that had also been lost in Bumblebee's district alone. Once they were finished they turned their backs on the tragic scene and began their long trek home…

TO BE CONTINUED!

Author's Note: Like it, love it, hate it? Click that review button and let me know!


	2. A New Beginning

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews and for adding me to alerts and favorites! :D Also as a side note, all of my stories are and shall always be slash and smut free! Only family and friendship based relationships. The only reason I rate my stories T is for occasional swearing and some battle scenes.

 **CHAPTER 2**

Strange warbling sounds that were faint slowly became louder and more pronounced as a yellow plated youngling slowly awoke from recharge. He blinked his sleepy, brilliant blue optics open to take in his current surroundings. The tiny youngling squeaked and squirmed when he became aware of the completely new and alien place he now found himself in. _Where_ **was** he?! Where were his mother and father?! Just as his panic began to reach unbearable levels, a reassuring, deep, soothing voice spoke to him then and helped to alleviate some of his fears.

"Easy there, little one. You are in a very safe place. I'm going to be taking care of you from now on."

Little Bumblebee felt himself being held in the strong, protective arms of his new caretaker. The tiny youngling crooned mournfully when he remembered that his parents were gone. His vents began to heave as tears slowly began to squeeze out of his optics. His spark hurt terribly and even though Bumblebee knew his parents were gone and were never coming back, he still couldn't understand why. The little one was far too young to grasp the meaning of death.

He watched the Autobot soldiers bustle about, performing simple tasks through blurry optics. These must be the nice people his father told him about. The ones who were going to be his new family. He knew that because he was now familiar with the Autobot logo. The scary, bad ones had a more terrifying looking insignia. He had glimpsed one of the evil symbols on one of the Decepticon's dead bodies near his shattered home. They were the ones that hurt his father… and made his father have to go away. Bumblebee missed his parents terribly. He started to cry but was surprised when Optimus wiped away his tears with a large thumb and then lovingly stroked his cheek plate with soft affection, much like his daddy used to do.

"It's alright, young one. Things will get better, you'll see."

Optimus rubbed Bumblebee's back panels softly. The small child relaxed and was content to be held, much too afraid to wander off on his own despite his growing curiosity. His new guardian made him feel safe and secure.

The Autobot leader retrieved a bottle filled with bright blue energon. Even though the sparkling had just grown into the cusp of youngling-hood, he was still far too small to drink energon like an elder bot. Once the child spotted what his caretaker was about to give him he calmed considerably and chirped in anticipation.

"Here Bumblebee. I think its high time you-" Optimus was cut off when the tiny youngling squeaked and clicked in excitement and grabbed the bottle with eager hands and began to drink it greedily. This action made the Autobot leader laugh. In no time, Bee finished the bottle and his face scrunched up into an adorable expression of pure disappointment. Optimus knew that the small youngling needed to consume extra energon, especially after the pain his innocent spark had to endure. His energy levels had dropped dangerously low and Ratchet, the Autobot CMO, had to examine the tiny child while he had been in a deep recharge. After Bumblebee's spark suffered the deaths of both parents his spark had weakened from all of the trauma and strain.

Ratchet instructed Optimus on how to care for little Bumblebee after the preliminary check-up. The CMO severely ordered his leader to report to him should the youngling's condition change or turn for the worst.

The Autobot leader smiled down at Bee as he brought a second energon bottle into sight. The tired child clicked and all but guzzled it down. At one point, Bumblebee drank it too fast and ended up choking. It was a scary thing to experience. Having fluid enter your primary vents. The little one didn't seem as concerned about it once he recovered since his need for the life giving energon over-rode any other thought processes at the time. Optimus on the other hand had an entirely different reaction. He was startled out of his processor and had at least half a millennia scared out of him. He hurriedly yanked the bottle away from Bumblebee's grasping little digits and patted the little one on the back to help expel some of the inhaled fluid. The tiny child began to fuss the longer Optimus kept the bottle away from him. The Autobot leader smiled down upon the youngling and gently instructed him.

"Easy now, little one. Drink a little slower."

Bee nodded in silent understanding and did as he was told. Not long after that ordeal the second bottle was empty. Now that his tanks were full he released a content chirp. He looked up at his new guardian and studied his face a little more closely. The small yellow youngling reached out a tiny hand to lightly touch Optimus Prime's face as if trying to memorize every detail. His optics stared into his loving new caretaker's bright blue ones and the two silently regarded each other. After their brief staring contest, Bumblebee snuggled further against Optimus's chest and rested in pure content as his audios became accustomed to the steady rhythm of the elder mech's spark-beat.

"Thank you," the little one spoke with a soft squeak as he nuzzled his face against Prime's broad chassis.

"You're welcome, child."

The longer Optimus held Bumblebee…the more he grew to love and adore him. He had to be the cutest thing he'd seen on the face of Cybertron. Why did the little one have to suffer so much loss and pain? It wasn't fair. A few moments of silence passed until Bumblebee asked an innocent question that melted Optimus's spark completely.

"Are you my new daddy?"

Optimus gazed fondly down at him with a small smile.

"I suppose I am,"

The answer satisfied the youngling although Optimus was sure there would be days yet to come when Bee would raise questions in regards to his parents' whereabouts. It would be spark-breaking to be sure once the child came to learn the true meaning of death and that there was a reason he would never see his parents again. It would only be a matter of time until the little one finally understood the universal question that could never be answered: why?

The leader of the Autobots knew that it wasn't going to be easy raising Bumblebee while they were in the midst of a global war…but he vowed that his little Bee would stay safe nonetheless. For the next few cycles, the small youngling was going to remain solely in Optimus Prime's care since they needed to be for certain that he felt safe and trusting enough to slowly be introduced to the other Autobots. Bumblebee would no doubt recognize Jazz who was the first on the list for youngling-sitting duty once the child got to know the smooth talking mech a little better. Thankfully at the moment the Autobots had a chance to rest while Megatron and his forces struggled to regroup after their last defeat. Once the battle resumed, Optimus would have to leave little Bee behind in the care of another trusted Autobot while he commanded his troops on the front lines. Hopefully when the time came, Bumblebee would be comfortable without him around. Optimus did have faith in the others though. Once Bee warmed up to them he would be well occupied.

Bumblebee felt drowsy again now that he was refueled and that there were no stressors currently pressuring him. Ratchet told Optimus something critical before the child awoke and that was to ensure that Bee got enough recharge. It was necessary and rather commonplace that a youngling Bee's age needed to rest more frequently so that he could continue to grow and develop. For some reason however, the little tyke just wasn't going to do that right now.

"What's the matter, Bumblebee? Aren't you tired?"

The tiny youngling nodded but turned his head away. Tears began to leak out of his optics. This would be the second time that he would recharge in the arms of a different mech instead of his parents. He felt a bit uncomfortable and squirmed in Prime's arms. The large mech went over to a recharge berth and lay down, positioning the small youngling- who hadn't quite completely outgrown his sparkling frame just yet-on his chest. Bumblebee was getting used to Optimus but recharging with him just felt awkward for some reason… he didn't bother getting up however and just remained curled where he was. It wasn't that he distrusted the larger mech who said he'd be his new daddy…it was just the fact that it wasn't his real daddy. Since he had first been sparked Bee had never been separated from his loving parents, not even for a single day…until this tragedy befell him.

The wise Autobot leader seemed to sense his discomfort and began to run a gentle hand across Bumblebee's back panels, stroking him in reassurance.

"It's alright little one. Not all tears are an evil."

Bumblebee couldn't keep the sorrow at bay any longer and cried out his hurt into Optimus's chest. All the while, Optimus continued to gently stroke the youngling's fragile little body, whispering loving words of comfort and compassion, not at all minding the fact that the child's tears were running in rivulets down his armor. Soon, Bee tired out and rested his audio against Prime's chassis. The sound of his new daddy's spark-beat soothed him enough that he could shutter his optics closed and rest in perfect peace. Optimus watched over the precious youngling that had already won his spark. He covered Bumblebee's body with a massive hand, blanketing the youngling's exhausted body. Before long, the leader of the Autobots dozed off himself without a care in the world… temporarily relieved to be granted rest after all of their recent battles.

Ratchet stopped by a little while later to check up on them and witnessed the breathtaking spectacle. He smiled and unbeknownst to his leader or any of the other Autobots for that matter, he took a picture. The CMO knew exactly where he was going to be putting this one. He returned to his duties, leaving father and son to their blissful recharge.

* * *

Megatron was furious. He threw a chair across the great hall that served as his throne room within the depths of his fortress in Kaon, with a chilling roar. The chair crashed against a wall just a few feet shy of a Decepticon trooper who had just entered. The mech shook on his peds and held up a datapad as if it would be enough to shield himself from whatever else his leader might hurl in his direction. He and a few other Cons had drawn straws and he'd been the unlucky one that now had to go stand before their leader and deliver a _**very**_ bad report. The Decepticons, after the mech in question left to go meet with their leader… began to bet, throwing in lots, gambling to see how long the doomed mech would last in the deadly vicinity of Megatron's infamous wrath. The Decepticon leader was obviously still stewing over their defeat in Bumblebee's sector.

"M-my lord?"

"WHAT IS IT?!" Megatron snarled as he attempted to reign in his fiery temper.

"W-w-we just received an update from our scouts. The Autobots have re-retaken the eastern sector of the south Iacon border. Th-they have increased their patrols and set up a heavily fortified outpost. Most of our scouts d-died to bring us this report…" the Decepticon's entire body shook with stark terror now as he saw the expression on his leader's face change from dark…to downright scary…

"They **WHAT**?!"

The Decepticon soldier took a few steps back, once again shielding himself from the enraged Decepticon leader with his datapad. He wasn't sure if his leader's question was in reference to the Autobot's activities or the fact that more Decepticons had perished.

"Th-that's not all, my lord…" the soldier bowed his head and stared at the ground submissively while he tried to get his terrified shaking under control.

"I have the most updated census in regards to our forces. We have lost sixty p-percent of our troops within the past month alone. The A-Autobots outnumber us now three-to-one…"

Megatron screamed in outrage and upturned a table.

" **HOW** IS THIS _POSSIBLE_?! This is entirely UNACCEPTABLE!" Megatron bellowed as he towered over the trembling soldier.

"Y-yes, my lord. What are your orders?"

"You have served your purpose trooper. Your report has been received and will be held in the upmost consideration. You are dismissed!" The Decepticon leader narrowed his fiery red optics and spoke with what seemed to be a much calmer albeit chilling voice.

The Decepticon trooper sagged with relief and bowed graciously to his master believing he was safe for the time being.

"Thank you, my lord!"

"You are _DISMISSED_ for the remainder of the war!" Megatron hissed cruelly with fiery optics.

The Decepticon leader snarled and fired his fusion cannon, sending a smoking hole through the trooper's chassis. The soldier's spark was immediately extinguished before he had a chance to stutter another word. His lifeless body fell to the floor in a smoldering heap. Megatron went and sat on his throne and rubbed a clawed hand to his temple, darkly brooding. What could he do? They needed troops to win the war! What did Optimus Prime have that he didn't when it came to soldiers? Prime's troops were loyal to a fault. Maybe that was his problem…there were many Decepticons that already deserted his army. There were a few deserters that had even had the gall to join forces with the Autobots. Megatron hunted each and every one of the cowards down and had them terminated. He hated to admit it but a fraction of his force, he had to slay by his own hand due to their incompetence or cowardice!

"Soundwave!" Megatron summoned one of his most devout loyalists.

The navy blue Decepticon in question stepped out of the shadows and went to stand by his leader's side. Soundwave was one of the most loyal officers he had. His intelligence was invaluable as were his communications skills. Thanks to Soundwave's expertise he was able to decipher and crack an Autobot code and locate a youth sector not long ago. Megatron had yet to march upon and destroy it.

"Soundwave, we need a new approach. I need new Decepticons that will be as loyal as you, who I can trust and count on to fight for our cause!"

"True loyalty begins with the molding of a mind…" the communications officer chuckled darkly.

Soundwave informed his leader that he knew very effective brainwashing and mind-altering techniques. Yet another impressive skill to add to his resume.

Megatron perked up at the suggestion.

"Brilliant Soundwave! Although is rather _difficult_ to change a grown mech's belief system."

Megatron turned to regard a blinking red light on a control console nearby. He pushed a button and on the screen, the location of the youth sector appeared.

"There is our objective Soundwave. We will capture the youngest residents. The rest will be killed. Mobilize our forces immediately and prepare to march out!"

"Yes, lord Megatron." Soundwave intoned obediently.

Megatron laughed in wicked delight. If this plan of theirs succeeded, not even Optimus would be able to stop them this time…

* * *

 _Bumblebee was frightened. The ground was shaking and he heard people screaming. Explosions shook the ground and he saw energon seeping from dead bodies through the rubble of his home where he was still trapped below ground. The sight made him cry as he shook with utter fear. He saw the ceiling cave in on his mother and he screamed for her with an outstretched hand._

" _MAMA!"_

 _He watched his mother disappear beneath the rubble. He climbed out of his hiding place and crawled towards her. She was unmoving._

" _Mama?" he whispered softly. Suddenly without warning his dead mother's optics opened only they were a burning red. She suddenly looked and sounded scary as the dream quickly turned into a nightmare._

" _Bumblebee…join the bad people…"_

 _Bumblebee shrieked and shook his head and tried crawling away but the scary lady who looked like his mother grabbed his ankle and pulled him closer._

" _Join them…or die little one."_

 _Bumblebee was screaming and crying now as he tried to get away but was trapped by the fallen debris._

" _If you don't join the bad people…they will hunt you down and hurt you. Just like your stupid, weak excuse for a father!"_

" _Let go!" Bee squeaked and tried to kick the scary lady in the face with his other small foot._

" _They will hurt you so bad…you will go away forever!"_

 _The lady's grip on his ankle tightened and Bumblebee released audio shattering shrieks._

" _HELP! HELP ME!"_

 _Suddenly the dream began to disappear. Like everything around him was made of chalk and it was all being blown away by an unseen wind. He heard the soothing voice of Optimus._

" _Bumblebee…wake up, child! Wake up!"_

Bumblebee awoke with a sob to see it was night time and struggled and kicked against the one currently holding him. He calmed when he saw that he was awake and in the strong, protective arms of Optimus. His small processor tried to understand the nightmare he had but didn't comprehend half of it. All he knew was that the bad people wanted to hurt him like they hurt his daddy! He didn't know that the nightmare was partly a memory. His young audios had indeed heard Megatron's warning when the Decepticon leader had been interrogating his father even though the conversation had been muffled at the time.

Bee whimpered and snuggled against Optimus and clicked and whirred, reverting back to sparkling speech. The poor thing was scared out of his processor.

Optimus lifted the tiny youngling up so that the child was dangling in the air in front of his face and looked worriedly at him. Bumblebee was shivering as the remnants of the dream slowly began to fade out of memory. He only remembered one crucial element and it was what had him the most terrified.

"Little one…what did you dream about?"

Bee curled up and tucked his legs beneath him as tears leaked out of his optics. His lower lip trembled and he shook his head…clearly he didn't want to talk about it.

"It was a bad dream, wasn't it?"

Bumblebee nodded and reached his arms out for Optimus to hold him. Optimus pulled the youngling against his chest again and massaged the tiny youngling's helm to calm him.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want too."

Bumblebee curled into a ball as Optimus cradled him and the little one spoke, his voice coming out in a soft, muffled squeak as his face was buried in Optimus's chassis.

"They wanna hurt me…"

"What was that, dear one?"

The small youngling peeked out from where he had buried his face to look Optimus optic-to-optic.

"Bad people. They wanna make me go away…" Bee started crying again.

"Oh little one, they won't get you now. You are safe. I'm going to protect you. So will the other Autobots."

The small, yellow framed youngling perked up at this news and wiped his tears away.

"Really?"

"Yes. I promise," Optimus smiled.

"Okay." Bumblebee was calmer now and felt more at ease.

"I think you still need to recharge."

"No!" The tiny youngling shook his head in horror with wide optics. He didn't want to recharge and see scary things again!

"Sweetling, you need to rest."

Bumblebee shook his head vehemently with fresh tears building in his baby blue optics.

"No! Don't wanna."

"You are safe, child. Do you want to know what helps me recharge if I have a scary dream?"

Bee widened his optics and tilted his helm to the side in curiosity. This grown mech had bad dreams? He didn't think grown-ups were scared of anything.

"I say a prayer to Primus. He is the Lifemaker of our race. He always listens to your prayers…especially when you feel scared. Many times, He helps you have good dreams and not bad ones. Want to say a prayer with me Bumblebee?"

The tiny youngling nodded in complete fascination. He hoped that this Primus person would hear him and help make the scary things go away.

"Okay, you fold your hands like this…" Optimus sat the youngling on his lap and showed him how to do it. Bumblebee followed Optimus's instruction to the letter.

"Now you just ask Primus to make the bad dreams go away and ask Him to give you good ones. It's that easy," Prime smiled down at the small child.

Bumblebee looked down at his folded hands and said a prayer like Optimus said. Afterwards he felt much better and smiled at his new father.

"Feel better, Bumblebee?"

The tiny youngling nodded and leaned sleepily against his guardian.

"I think it's time to recharge again now that we said our prayers."

Bee nodded without any protest and snuggled against Optimus again and basked in his warmth. In mere minutes, the youngling was fast asleep. The leader of the Autobots gazed fondly down at him and kissed the top of his yellow helm.

"Sleep well, dear one."

Optimus watched over him until he himself had drifted off into pleasant dreams…

* * *

Bumblebee awoke hours later with a happy chirp and sat on top of Optimus's chest plates completely energized while the towering mech still slept. The tiny bot was recharged and ready to face another day. He didn't have any other bad dreams after he said a prayer to Primus. The little one momentarily forgot the grief that had been overwhelming him since he first arrived in the Autobots' care and was focused solely on his caretaker and what fun they could potentially have.

"Opi?" the tiny youngling squeaked. He received no response. So he tried something different.

"Daddy?" he gently patted the Autobot leader's cheek plate. Still more time passed and the yellow youngling was still unable to wake his new father up. Growing rather impatient he began to chirp, click, and whir indignantly and even had the audacity to blow a raspberry. Then he thought of a different tactic.

He heaved his vents and with his high pitched youngling voice, he yelled as loud as he could.

" _ **DADDY**_!"

The large mech jolted awake with a fright, nearly knocking the tiny child off of him but regained his bearings in time.

"Bumblebee?! You scared me, you little devil…what are you up too?" Optimus questioned with a small smile and a twinkle in his optics.

"Nothin…" the little youngling smiled shyly.

"Are you sure?" Optimus held the youngling close to him while sitting up. He reached a hand down and began to mercilessly tickle the tiny one's sensitive midsection. The little bundle of wires began to laugh and squirm trying to escape the larger mech's attacking fingers but couldn't get away.

"No! NO! Opi!" Bee squeaked still giggling and then came still after the tickle torture stopped a few seconds later.

Optimus was so happy to see the child was in a happier mood. He felt it was high time the youngling was introduced to another member of the Autobot team.

"Come Bumblebee. Let's go get some energon and then we will go meet Ratchet."

"Huh?" Bee's adorable face wrinkled with confusion.

"Ratchet is our doctor. He knows all about you and wants to meet you," Optimus smiled.

The youngling nodded in acceptance although he wasn't entirely sure what a doctor was. He'd never met one before...at least not to his knowledge. After Optimus and Bumblebee consumed their daily energon they both went to Ratchet's medbay together. Not once did Bumblebee leave Optimus's arms. The Autobot leader didn't mind carrying his precious cargo. Eventually with time the young one would grow confident enough to roam around on his own although he still needed to be under constant supervision.

Once they entered the medbay Ratchet greeted them and focused his sole attention on Bumblebee. The tiny youngling felt highly uncomfortable having a stranger stare at him and shrank away. He still had trust issues…and he was extremely shy.

"Why hello there, Bumblebee. My name's Ratchet," the elder mech smiled warmly.

The shy youngling buried his face against Optimus's chest and refused to look at him.

"Youngling, I have a treat for you…"

Bumblebee didn't know what a treat was but he was curious enough to look back at Ratchet to see what the mech was talking about. There in the CMO's hand was a small, rectangular piece of hardened energon. Ratchet winked at Optimus while little Bee was studying the interesting new object.

"Here little one. Take it," Ratchet smiled again.

The treat that Ratchet was offering the youngling was the type that dissolved immediately so it wasn't a choking hazard that they had to worry about. Bumblebee shyly took the energon candy from Ratchet. Optimus looked down at the little one.

"What do you say Bumblebee?"

The child was so busy studying the fascinating new object that he didn't hear him at first. He snapped his head up when Optimus got his attention a second time. The little one smiled shyly.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now why don't you try the treat I gave to you? It's really good," Ratchet promised.

Bumblebee popped the energon candy into his mouth and the moment it dissolved his optics widened and he hummed in clear satisfaction. It was a sweeter form of energon. Optimus extended his arms out to hand Bee to Ratchet. The tiny child enjoyed the treat so much he didn't mind allowing the new mech to hold him. In fact, the little one began to search Ratchet for more as he was carefully handed over as if expecting the elder mech to spontaneously present him with another hidden treasure. The CMO chuckled and ran a quick scan on the child.

"He is very healthy, Prime. Good work. He's on the road to recovery although it may take longer for his psyche to heal."

Optimus nodded in understanding.

"I will do everything I can to help him."

"I know you will."

Ratchet handed Bumblebee back to Optimus earning a disappointed whine from the little one. The CMO laughed and ran a gentle finger against Bee's cheek plate.

"Don't worry. There will be plenty of other treats in the future," Ratchet winked at him.

Bumblebee smiled and waved as Optimus carried him out of the medbay. It was when they were half-way to the rec room that Prowl stopped them with a severe look that froze the energon in Optimus's body.

"Sir…we have a situation…"

TO BE CONTINUED!

Author's Note: Sorry for the cliffie! Please don't hate me! Stops, drops, and rolls as multiple objects are thrown. First one to review this chapter gets one of Ratchet's energon treats! :D


	3. Evacuation of Omega Youth Sector

Author's Note: Thanks so much for the reviews and for adding me to alerts and favorites. The first person who reviewed was _zero fullbuster_ so he/she gets Ratchet's energon candy like I promised. X3 Thanks again and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **CHAPTER 3**

Bumblebee knew something was wrong the moment Prowl appeared. It wasn't the presence of this strange new mech or the severity in his voice that changed the atmosphere into one of dread and foreboding that frightened him… but just the fact that Optimus Prime's body rigidly tensed upon seeing the black and white Autobot that sported a red chevron that had him on edge. Even though the extent of the conversation was lost to him, the little bot had a bad feeling about what was really going on. The tiny youngling began to tremble when he heard what sounded like _fear_ in his adopted father's voice. Whatever they were talking about must be serious…and quite possibly life threatening.

"The Decepticons are on the move as we speak. They will reach the Omega youth sector by late this evening. Our agent reported that Megatron has emptied his fortress and is going to use his main fighting force in this campaign. Optimus, if we are going to do anything about this, we need to act now."

"I agree, Prowl. Order the immediate evacuation of the youth sector."

"Yes, sir…but where will they go? The other youth sectors are either already destroyed or at maximum capacity."

"Send them to our southeastern outpost. It's heavily fortified and contains enough room for the majority of the refugees."

"Sir, are you sure that's such a good idea? It's right on the planetary border…"

"It's the most secure place we can hope to shelter them with for the time being. We have nowhere else to send them. See to it that what energon stores can be spared are transported there as well."

"Yes, Prime," Prowl turned to leave but stopped and vented a sigh. He turned back around to look at his leader with a grim expression.

"Optimus…there are at least two thousand younglings and sparklings there. The Omega youth sector is by far Cybertron's largest…" Prowl trailed off. He didn't need to finish his conveyed message. Optimus nodded minutely.

"We will save as many as we can."

"Understood." Prowl turned sharply on his heel and briskly walked away, already shouting orders to passing Autobot soldiers. He went to find Ironhide who was the leader of one of Optimus Prime's platoons. It was high time they prepared to mobilize.

The leader of the Autobots shuttered his optics and vented a sigh. They would be lucky if half of the youth sector made it out alive.

Optimus looked down at the shaking little youngling in his arms and gently rubbed his back panels to soothe him while his mind raced. The leader of the Autobots preferred that Jazz be the first to care for little Bee… but he needed Jazz with his battle unit. He would need to find an alternative sparkling-sitter while he was away on the front lines. Optimus looked down into the worried youngling's face and half smiled.

"It's alright Bumblebee…there's no need to be frightened," Optimus gently stroked Bee's head. Truthfully the leader of the Autobots was horrified and his spark thrummed with stark terror at the impending destruction that was going to ensue. Megatron was about to attack a helpless youth sector…but for what nefarious purpose? What the Prime feared the most was the possibility that the sadistic Decepticon leader planned to simply slaughter and snuff every last innocent spark within a hundred miles of that place. Optimus Prime was thankful that Bumblebee was never sent there. He had no intention of sending the sweet little youngling away after swearing a vow to the child's dying father. It was destiny that the Autobots rescued the youngling that fateful day. No doubt, Primus's doing.

Optimus went to his office and closed the door. He set the tiny youngling down upon his desk next to his computer terminal. Bumblebee was clearly not pleased that he was deposited on a cluttered surface. He began to whine and crawled towards Optimus's large frame but paused when a curious object loomed into view. His tiny hands reached for it and he chirped happily when it was finally within his grasp. The youngling squeaked with fright when Optimus yelled at him a few seconds later.

"NO! Bumblebee! Do not touch that!" Optimus hastily grabbed the highly sensitive, very important data chip from the little one's tiny digits.

Bee's optics filled with unshed tears and he released a mournful croon as his vents began to heave in a sure sign he was about to start crying. The small mechling had only been curious… he just wanted to inspect the strange looking thing more closely.

Optimus's facial features softened and he ran a loving hand across Bee's helm.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you, Bumblebee. This is _very_ important. I can't lose this or risk damaging it, okay?" Optimus really wasn't sure if the tiny child could understand the severity of the situation. The little one's tears silently leaked out of his optics but he didn't openly cry. He simply nodded with a quivering lower lip and curled into a ball and shrank down within the confines of a mound of data-pads, touch-screen stencils, and data chips. The leader of the Autobots tried to continue working but the sight of the little one curled up on his desk was far too cute to ignore. He allowed himself a smile and retrieved the youngling, ignoring the fact that half the contents on his desk just spewed all over the floor.

"Do you want something to play with?" Optimus asked him.

Bee nodded quietly. The young child eyed the object in Prime's hand with suspicion. He thought he wasn't allowed to touch that thing…

Optimus chuckled and explained.

"It's okay, Bumblebee…you can play with this one. It's not important and I don't need it anymore." He handed the tiny youngling the offered gift. It was an old data chip that contained a report that he never had time to dispose of. It was fortunate that he had it now. Perhaps the youngling would remain entertained and occupied enough for Optimus to quickly finish his work.

Bee took it and began a thorough examination of it and cooed in complete fascination. He'd never seen, let alone touched something like this before. It looked a lot like the important one that Optimus told him not to touch…

The youngling remained on the desk and clutched the data chip in his hand and watched Optimus work. The leader of the Autobots was a very fast typist. His fingers flew over the touch-screen keyboard at a dizzying speed. After watching for a while, Bumblebee's head began to droop and his optics began to dim sleepily. He clicked tiredly and reached his arms out for Optimus to hold him. The leader of the Autobots miraculously finished his project at that moment and picked up the youngling and stood. He hit a button on the computer terminal and the projected keyboard on the flat surface of his desk disappeared.

"Are you ready for recharge, little one?"

Bee nodded his head and snuffled Optimus's chest and snuggled within the confines of his caretaker's arms. It didn't take long for the little one to pass out. Optimus carefully placed the child down on his recharge berth and then secretly created a video recording for the child to watch upon awakening and then called Wheeljack. He met the resident scientist outside in the hallway.

"Wheeljack…I am placing Bumblebee in your care while I am away. Do you think you can handle it old friend?"

"Don't worry, the kid is in good hands. I'll make sure the little guy has some fun. If all goes well, he won't even miss you!" Wheeljack laughed light-heartedly.

The leader of the Autobots nodded in appreciation.

"Thank you, Wheeljack. Please, play this recording for Bumblebee once he awakens. He will need to be held until he feels comfortable enough to explore on his own."

"I understand."

"Good luck Wheeljack." Optimus smiled and then walked away.

He believed Wheeljack's promise that little Bee would have fun upon awakening. It would probably be a little frightening at first for the yellow framed mechling to discover that he went missing. Optimus knew without a doubt that the little one might vent a few crying spells but Bumblebee needed to start learning to depend on more than just one bot. The leader of the Autobots would unfortunately not always be around to care for the child.

The Prime turned on a data-pad displaying the Omega Youth sector's schematics and other stats. Optimus needed to prepare himself for battle. 2,537 innocent lives were now at stake, counting every resident which comprised of sparklings, younglings, and caretakers. He armed himself with his blaster rifle and made sure his arm blades were working at optimal capacity. The last thing he needed was for one of his blades to jam and refuse to extend or retract.

Satisfied that he was indeed ready for the ensuing battle, he joined the other Autobots out in the central hub of their base.

"Autobots, we are running out of time. How many residents have been evacuated so far?" Optimus questioned in his calm, collected voice.

There were a few new Autobots standing nearby and once they had been told that they were going to see battle for the first time, they were terrified…at least until Optimus Prime spoke. His deep, strong, awe-inspiring voice alleviated their fears and rallied their fighting spirits. They edged closer to where he stood.

His firm resolve and determined spark inspired his followers to go with him wherever he might roam. Even unto the ends of the universe itself. He fought for freedom, truth, and justice. Noble qualities for a noble leader. Those were the principles that the rest of the Autobots lived by as well. They bravely fought… and died for it together. These were the ideals that held their army together. The force that gave them the strength to battle evil, to never give up, and to never give in. It was this very code of honor that gave the Autobots the greatest advantage time and time again when battling the Decepticons. The Autobots were more than soldiers fighting in a war. They were family.

"Sir, approximately 879 residents have already been relocated," Ironhide informed him.

"Send every available transport not currently in use to that facility immediately! I want troops stationed around the entire youth sector's perimeter! The majority of our force will assist in the evacuation while both my battle unit and Ironhide's platoon prepares to engage Megatron. We must not let him near that facility until the residents are clear, no matter the cost!" Optimus shouted out his orders and in so doing issued forth a rally cry.

"Autobots, roll out!"

The Autobots scrambled to carry out his orders. Optimus pulled Prowl and Ironhide aside.

"How many Autobots are already on-site assisting with the evacuation?"

"We sent one hundred and seventy-nine soldiers a few hours ago," Prowl nodded.

"We have three-hundred and fifteen enroute now," Ironhide shut off the data-pad in his hand.

"Do we know an estimate concerning the number of warriors Megatron has at his disposal for this campaign?"

"Our agent reported that nearly two-thousand warriors were seen marching out of Megatron's Kaon fortress."

"How many troops do we have for the preliminary battle?"

"Approximately five-hundred and seventy-eight," Prowl responded grimly.

Optimus placed a comforting hand on Prowl's shoulder.

"Just remember, our only task is to buy the youth sector time to evacuate. Once they are clear, the remainder of our forces will unite and meet Megatron's army head on to ensure that they are unable to follow the refugees."

Ironhide grinned as he punched an eager fist into a palm. He couldn't wait to put some hurt on those cons. Once the Autobot forces regrouped to fight Megatron's army, their odds of victory would substantially improve although they would still be outnumbered two to one. Optimus wanted to call upon more soldiers to fight but he needed to be sure that Iacon stayed secure. The last thing they needed was a surprise assault on their capital city. They would just have to work with what they currently had. The Autobots would have nearly 1,072 comprising their fighting force. Like the Prime said, their sole purpose was to evacuate the residents of the youth sector and smuggle them to safety before Megatron could get his evil mitts on them. Optimus would no doubt order his Autobots to retreat once they accomplished their mission to avoid further unnecessary losses.

The three mechs broke off their meeting and went their separate ways. The two newly recruited Autobots that had been standing near Optimus during his speech stood off to the side grimly talking in lowered voices. They figured they were going to die in the coming battle. The leader of the Autobots couldn't help but eavesdrop on the rookies and went to stand next to them. They straightened to attention and saluted when his shadow fell over them.

"Sir!"

Optimus made a hand gesture, silently ordering them to drop their salutes.

"At ease soldiers. I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. Why do you believe this fight is going to be a hopeless one?"

"We've…never seen battle before, sir. We don't have the experience to survive against the odds stacked against us," one of the two soldiers shook his head sadly as he stared down at the ground in complete hopelessness.

"Experience itself does not guarantee either victory or defeat. Even the most experienced may sometimes fall or fail. You may come to find that the odds against you are what inspire the experience you currently lack," Optimus wisely pointed out.

"Sir, how can we hope to win?" the second Autobot questioned, eager to hear the Prime's answer.

"What do we have that the Decepticons don't?" Optimus questioned them with a small smile.

The two rookies glanced at each other and looked back at their leader.

"We…don't know."

"We have love and compassion. The both of you will fight side by side as brothers. Should one of you fall…the other will be there to pick you back up. While the Decepticons may outnumber us now they know nothing of these principles. Should one of them fall…they remain abandoned and forsaken, for compassion and mercy are weaknesses in Megatron's optics and to him, only the strong survive. That is why we still have hope and what makes victory possible."

Optimus could see an immediate change in the two Autobot troopers. They straightened up and the look of complete hopelessness vanished from their faceplates. Their optics lit up with a newfound fire as their courage was kindled. Optimus put a hand on each of their shoulders and looked them both in the optics.

"As long as you hold true to each other… no one can defeat you."

"Yes, sir!" The two Autobots saluted again with growing smiles.

"Thank you, sir. We won't let you down."

With those words they rejoined their comrades and loaded up into Ironhide's gunship. Optimus watched them leave and looked up to the heavens and sent a prayer to Primus that those two soldiers would make it out of the battle alive. He joined Prowl and Jazz and they set off as well. Their ship blasted full speed ahead. He only hoped they would get there in time…

* * *

"Stay together younglings! Remember the buddy system. Hold each other's hands! There now, calmly exit the building. Very good," one of the Omega Youth sector's caretakers loudly announced over a loudspeaker.

So far the evacuation was proceeding smoothly. The young Cybertronians were not panicking and they simply followed their elders' instructions. The younglings were the easiest to transport since they were capable of moving on their own. The sparklings on the other hand were taking longer since they had to be carried. At the start of the evacuation the youth sector had mobile-carrier-strollers that could carry five sparklings at a time. Unfortunately those were very limited and they quickly ran out of them within the first hour. A solution for that problem was quickly implemented. The eldest younglings, many of which were nearing the age when they would be old enough to leave the youth sector, helped carry and evacuate the smallest members of the facility. By the time 315 Autobot reinforcements arrived, all of the sparklings and at least a quarter of the younglings had already been evacuated and relocated.

Deep inside the facility, four younglings in particular remained grouped together. They were best friends and refused to be separated.

"What's goin on, Blue?"

"I don't know, Smokey…It must be bad."

"I heard that there are bad people that want to hurt younglings like us," a red youngling softly mentioned to his two friends.

"I heard one of the caretakers say that they killed some in another sector," a sunny yellow mechling whispered as they continued to walk through the halls towards one of the many exits that would lead to an awaiting transport.

"Sunny, how do you know that's true?"

"Because Sides…grown-ups don't lie," the youngling known as Sunny stated flatly while shooting his twin brother a glare.

The two younglings known as Bluestreak and Smokescreen were paired together as buddies and held hands as they walked. It was a no-brainer that the twin brothers Sunny and Sides would be paired since the two of them shared a split spark. They were half-way to the exit when the flashing red strobe lights and emergency sirens came on. All of the younglings began to panic but the caretaker that was still talking over the loudspeaker ripped out the wiring for the sirens and permanently shut them off so that only the red strobe lights were flashing.

"Younglings, remain calm. The evacuation will proceed. Stay together."

The absence of the frightening sound seemed to have a more calming effect although the younglings were still very jumpy. Suddenly without warning, the building shook as an explosive device was set off near the perimeter of the sector. The Younglings screamed and began to panic and completely ignored the caretaker on the loudspeaker. Many of the little ones lost their buddy partners amidst the chaos and confusion and were left standing alone in the hallway with heads thrown back, vocal capacitors screaming, and tears leaking like little waterfalls down their innocent faces. The angry sound of exchanging blaster fire and the screaming and shouting of the Autobots outside prompted the residents of the youth sector to get their afts moving. The younglings stampeded towards the exits as a few remaining Autobots waved them through the doors and helped load them into awaiting transports. Soon the transports took off after being loaded to full capacity and the remaining residents had no choice but to remain and wait for the next batch of emergency vehicles to arrive. The soldiers held the Omega Youth Sector's residents back so that they wouldn't run outside in a blind panic and get shot in a crossfire.

"Younglings find your buddy partners! The next transports will arrive within the next fifteen minutes!" one of the Autobot soldiers shouted above all of the noise.

The little ones who had previously lost their buddy partners were scooped up by elder younglings and carried to stand in the line leading out to the landing zone. The twins continued to hold hands and their grip tightened when another explosion shook the building. Bluestreak and Smokescreen whimpered as they held on to each other for support. Fifteen minutes went by and the transports still hadn't arrived yet. What was taking them so long?! The four younglings were close enough to the exit that they could see the sky begin to darken from roiling smoke. They saw a transport attempt to land outside and get blown to bits by a rocket launcher.

That's when all hell broke loose…

All sense of order was forsaken and panicked younglings screamed and fled when the gruff sounding shouts and chilling roars of invaders pierced the air from somewhere behind them. The Decepticons had breached the facility…

* * *

Little Bumblebee slowly awoke from recharge and shivered from a slight chill. That was odd…he normally felt warm. That's when he noticed he was curled up on a recharge berth all by himself. Optimus was nowhere in sight. Tears filled his optics as the air in his vents hitched. Where was his loving new daddy? The small youngling was afraid that Optimus went away like his real daddy. Was he ever going to see him again? He crawled towards the edge of the berth and whispered.

"Daddy?"

He hated feeling so alone. So abandoned… His optics carefully scanned the room and his fear rose to unspeakable levels.

" _Daddy_?" his voice squeaked as his spark thrummed with terror.

When the tiny youngling realized that Optimus was truly gone he began to click and chirp in complete distress. Just before he had the chance to release audio shattering wails, a new unfamiliar face appeared as another strange bot he'd never met entered the room. Bee scrambled backwards until he had his back against the wall. He hugged his knees to his tiny chest and stared wide-eyed at the mech as his sparkling speech abruptly ended. The little one was still a bit distrustful even though he was now accustomed to the Autobot symbol and knew that they were the good guys. Wheeljack's optics smiled and his side-fins on his head flashed when he talked.

"Hey, kid! My name is Wheeljack. Optimus wants me to watch you for a while until he comes back."

The tiny mechling began to intake air at a faster rate as tears threatened to spill out of his brilliant blue optics.

"Aww, it's alright Bumblebee. Here, Optimus wants you to see this!"

Wheeljack popped the holo-disk in a projector and a mini movie appeared as the Autobot leader's recorded message began to play. Optimus stood before Bumblebee as a hologram and smiled.

" _Hello, Bumblebee. I know you might be feeling a bit scared that I'm gone. Don't worry little one…I promise I will be back sometime soon. Wheeljack is going to take care of you for a little while. So I want you to be a good bot and do what he says. Can you do that for me, youngling?"_

"Yes." Bee nodded with wide optics oblivious to the fact that Optimus couldn't see or hear him and continued to listen to the message.

" _Have fun, child," Optimus ended the message with a smile._

The recording ended and the holo-projected movie disappeared as it shrank back into the holo-disk.

"Do you want some energon?" the one named Wheeljack questioned the small bot.

Bumblebee nodded but didn't raise his arms to be held. He remained curled where he sat and simply stared at the strange new mech as he crossed the room to retrieve something. Once the elder bot returned with a filled bottle of energon, Bumblebee immediately clicked with delight and allowed the larger mech to pick him up and hold him. The little one guzzled it down and chirped happily when he was finished. Wheeljack laughed as he carried Bee out of the room and walked towards the rec center. There weren't as many Autobots around the base since the majority of them had been called out to war. Once they arrived, the Autobot inventor placed the little bundle of joy on a tabletop.

"I have something for you! Want to see it?" Wheeljack looked down at the tiny youngling with smiling optics.

Bee nodded and was a little excited. The last time a mech had something for him, it had been one of Ratchet's energon treats. Was Wheeljack going to give him one of those too?

"Alright now. Close your optics…"

Bumblebee obeyed but began to peek through his cracked fingers. Wheeljack lightly admonished him.

"No peeking!"

The youngling covered his optics and felt his tiny body tremble in excitement. He couldn't wait to see what it was!

"Okay, Bee…you can look now!"

When the child's optics landed on the surprise Wheeljack had for him he squealed in pure delight and immediately assaulted his new caretaker with happy chirps and whirs. He eagerly grabbed the proffered gift in his tiny hands and hugged it to his chest. It was a small, stuffed Optimus Prime toy.

He flung himself against Wheeljack after his initial excitement and smiled up at the scientist.

"Thank you."

"Heh, no problem kid."

For the first time since Bumblebee arrived in the care of the Autobots…the horrors of the war were completely forgotten. The Autobot inventor watched the bubbly little bundle of wires begin to have the time of his life as they played to Bumblebee's little spark's content.

TO BE CONTINUED!

Author's Note: To get a rough idea how old the younglings are I have an estimated Earth equivalent for you.

Bumblebee = 2 yr old

Sides & Sunny = 5 years old

Bluestreak and Smokescreen = 6 or 7 years old


	4. The Battle Ensues

Author's Note: I feel like these characters fit more in line with Transformers G1 since I can picture tiny Bee with his little horns on his head. X3 Also, I rewrote this chapter like 4 times because a lot of times I didn't like what I wrote. :/

Disclaimer: The concept of a "scruff bar" is not my original idea. That belongs to the author Karategal. Check out her stories! They are totally awesome! :D She gave me permission to use it with my other fanfiction story "Watching Over You" on my other profile (Aethelgythe) - formerly Whitedino).

 **CHAPTER 4**

"I'm going to catch you! You better run!"

A tiny youngling squealed with laughter and ran from the grasping hands of a certain Autobot scientist charged with sparkling-sitting duty.

Bumblebee was having lots of fun playing with Wheeljack. The little one was fast for his age but he still tired easily and managed to trip and fall down numerous times due to the fact he wasn't used to being mobile on his own two feet. This was the first game Bee had ever played in all his life. The inventor chased him slowly around the room, giving the little one time to get back up whenever he fell, until he caught the tiny youngling. He tickled Bee and earned shrill shrieks of laughter. The mechling hit the larger mech's fingers with his tiny hands and tried to wriggle away. The Autobot scientist allowed the small child to break free and run away again as their game of chase continued.

After a while the yellow youngling sat down on the floor with a 'thump' and rubbed his optics sleepily. He blinked owlishly up at the inventor and released a soft click with upraised arms in a clear sign that he wanted to be held.

Wheeljack bent down and with one fell swoop, he scooped the small child off of the floor. Once Bee was settled down in his arms. Bee began to look around the room as he began to remember he was missing something or someone. Tears formed in his optics as he looked up at Wheeljack's face and released a mournful croon.

"Opi gone?"

"Yes but only for now. Don't worry Bee, he'll come back soon," the inventor reassured while bending down to pick up the child's stuffed Optimus toy. He handed it to the youngling. Bee immediately clutched it tightly to his chest and cuddled it. The little one was gently cradled in Wheeljack's arms and the Autobot scientist went and sat on a recharge berth.

Ten minutes went by and Bumblebee refused to recharge regardless of how tired he was. Wheeljack tried coaxing him to sleep but that tactic failed. The elder bot was baffled. He wasn't used to taking care of little ones and honestly didn't know what to do with the obstinate little mechling.

"Bee…if you go to sleep now, we can play games later after you wake up! Doesn't that sound like fun?"

The little one stubbornly shook his head and remained silent as he continued to clutch mini Optimus to his tiny chest.

"Why don't you want to recharge?"

"Want Opi."

"I'm sorry little guy but you can't recharge with him while he's gone."

"I want Opi!" Bumblebee raised his tiny youngling voice with a high pitched cry.

"He'll be back later. Until then you have to stay with me."

The little youngling tried to wriggle out of the scientist's arms with indignant clicks and whirs. He managed to get free and once on the ground he began to crawl towards the door. Wheeljack leaped into action and snagged the youngling before he could get too far. The child began to throw a fit when the inventor held him up by his scruff bar. The child dangled mid-air and began to kick and punch still far out of Wheeljack's reach while hissing, clicking, and whirring in complete defiance.

Wheeljack vented a sigh and ran a free hand over his masked face and shook his head sadly.

"Oh boy…"

The inventor carried his charge out of the room and headed for the sanctuary of the one bot that would undoubtedly get the youngling to calm down. He entered the Medbay and vented a relieved sigh once his optics locked on the mech he was looking for.

Ratchet turned around from where he had been sorting through supplies and looked up at the duo in surprise. There dangling in the air was Bumblebee showing a very clear and _very_ vocal act of aggression.

"What's wrong with him?" the medic raised an eye ridge in curiosity as he witnessed Bumblebee's tantrum. This was the first time he'd ever seen the little one behave that way.

"He wants Optimus. He doesn't want to recharge without him."

"Hmm…I suppose that's to be expected. Apart from his natural parents, Optimus is the first and only bot that has cared for Bee since their tragic demise. He has formed a very strong attachment to him."

"What do I do?" Wheeljack questioned as he fought to keep a firm grip on the thrashing youngling.

"Give him to me," Ratchet commanded while reaching out to take a still struggling Bumblebee.

The little one quieted down once he saw a familiar set of looming arms. He chirped when he looked into the face of the Autobot CMO. Once the medic grasped Bumblebee's scruff bar, the tiny youngling went limp. His tiny legs instinctively tucked in beneath his body as he curled submissively from where he dangled yards from the floor.

"Bumblebee…you must recharge."

The tiny youngling buried his face within the confines of his stuffed Optimus toy that he miraculously managed to keep a hold of during his tantrum and shook his head. The little mechling wanted his new daddy. The medic pulled Bumblebee against his chassis and was relieved that the child offered him no resistance. A few moments later, Bee snuffled Ratchet's chest and clicked tiredly. He felt safe with the Autobot medic. He trusted him.

Ratchet looked at Wheeljack.

"I'll take care of Bumblebee until Optimus gets back."

"Sorry doc…" Wheeljack lowered his head dismally. He felt like a failure.

"You are not to blame. Sparklings and younglings as small as Bee require some sort of bond with a parental figure. Parent-child spark bonds allow the shared internalization of feelings creating a healthy balance between internal and external displays of emotion. Without a bond, Bumblebee will continue to openly express how he feels. The fit he just threw is not an act of rebellion and he is not misbehaving intentionally. It's the only way he can communicate his needs. That may change in the future if he and Optimus form a strong spark connection. I'm the third bot that the youngling has met so far so caring for him shouldn't be a problem for me. Optimus introduced me to Bumblebee not long ago. Isn't that right Bee?" Ratchet smiled down at the sleepy youngling.

Bumblebee nodded tiredly and released a soft click but still fought against the strong, alluring urge to recharge.

"Alright doc. Let me know if you need anything. I'll be in my lab."

Once Wheeljack left, Ratchet took Bumblebee with him to a recharge berth normally reserved for injured bots. Fortunately they were not currently in use but Ratchet feared that would not remain so for much longer once the soldiers slowly began to return from the fierce battle. The elder bot held the little one with tender love and care.

"Alright Bumblebee…it's time to recharge. Be a good bot and I'll give you an energon treat when you wake up," Ratchet smiled into the adorably sleepy face of the Autobots' youngest resident.

Bumblebee was tired out. He instinctively snuggled further in the medic's embrace and rested his audio against Ratchet's chassis in order to hear the steady, calming rhythm of the elder mech's spark. The tiny youngling fell into a deep recharge.

Ratchet smiled down at him. His work as chief CMO could wait. There wasn't much to do anyways. The elder bot gently stroked the little one's yellow helm while he slept.

"You are a dear one, youngling…recharge well."

* * *

Optimus Prime's fighting force set up a protective barrier around the perimeter of the youth sector. There were four manned turrets mounted in place, two on the ground and two on the roof of the building. They set up landmines a good distance away from the building creating a no-man's land. The Autobots were spread out in a tight line as each soldier crouched side by side with battle rifles aimed at the ready behind a thick, makeshift wall of durasteel building material and prepared to engage the enemy.

Within minutes, the Decepticon's massive army appeared on the horizon. As the enemy forces neared, Optimus Prime stood directly behind the line of Autobots and began shouting orders.

"Do not engage the Decepticons until the first wave of enemy troops have triggered the landmines! Autobots, stand firm! Await my command and prepare to fire on my mark!"

The loud sound of rifles clicking and clacking from safety to kill filled the air as the Autobots zeroed their sights on their advancing enemy targets. Soon the ominous echo of synchronized marching feet drowned out all other noise as Megatron's army approached the Autobot's position. Megatron was leading them and suddenly raised a fist in a silent order to halt their march.

"Optimus! I must say it is quite a surprise to see you here, although after our last encounter I should expect nothing less. Surrender to me and I will allow your forces to depart peacefully. Refuse my offer and suffer the consequences," Megatron called out with a raised voice.

"Megatron! I know why you have come! The sparklings and younglings of this Youth Sector are innocent. They are the future of our race! Slaughtering them will gain you nothing!"

"What makes you believe I intend to snuff out their sparks? No…I have a much better use for them. Now stand down! This is your last warning…"

"We will **never** surrender!"

"Very well then," Megatron growled darkly.

"Decepticons! ATTACK!"

With a loud resonance the enemy troops shouted a battle cry in unison and ran down the slope. Megatron remained behind and watched from a safe distance. The Autobots held their fire and watched silently as the first wave of Decepticons ran out into the minefield. Explosions erupted as enemy troops triggered the deadly traps. Two waves of Decepticons numbering approximately one hundred and twenty nine soldiers were killed by the landmines alone. Optimus raised his arm high with a firm and steady hand.

"Gunners, prepare to open fire!"

The four turrets locked on to the advancing Decepticons.

"FIRE!" Optimus threw his hand down with a loud cry.

The darkening sky lit up with blaster fire as the turrets unleashed a fatal barrage of energy bolts at lightning speed. The Autobots felt confident so far. Their turrets were taking out a great number of the enemy forces since the Decepticons were charging forward without any protection. The five-hundred and seventy-eight Autobot soldiers on the frontline stood their ground and watched as Decepticons fell by the dozens. The riflemen lined up side by side behind their barricaded wall had yet to fire. Optimus was a wise leader and knew how important it was to save ammunition…especially since the odds were greatly against them. Two thousand against nearly six hundred was hardly fair. Soon some of the Decepticons got passed the turrets' line of sight. The Autobot leader raised his fist high in the air again and dropped his arm issuing forth his next order.

"AUTOBOTS OPEN FIRE!" Optimus shouted above the noisy din of battle.

The five-hundred and seventy-eight soldiers obeyed Optimus Prime's command and the riflemen behind the barricade opened fire simultaneously, dropping another wave of advancing enemy forces.

"FIRE AT WILL!"

For the time being, the Autobots were succeeding at keeping Megatron's army at bay. Until the tides quickly turned. Decepticons dropped down into the craters left by the landmine explosions while others crouched behind the stacked piles of their fallen comrades' deceased bodies and opened fire on the Autobots. Decepticon grenadiers launched projectiles high in the air and watched them sail down near the Autobot's barricade. A few grenades blew gaping holes in the wall and killed the Autobots that had been taking refuge behind it.

"Autobots! Stand your ground! We cannot allow them passage! Shore up the wall!" Optimus yelled as he released a volley of plasma rounds in the direction of the Decepticon grenadiers. The Autobots struggled to reinforce the barricade and closed the gaps created by the mini explosions. The Decepticons were quickly gaining ground and began to encircle the perimeter as Optimus and Ironhide's platoons struggled to hold them off.

Optimus contacted one of his Autobots by the name of Mirage who was currently helping with the evacuation efforts via a secure comlink channel. He brought two fingers up to the side of his blue helm and pressed the communications button below his antennae and was relieved to receive an immediate response.

::Mirage, how many residents have been evacuated?::

::One thousand and three-hundred fifty-nine. Just a little over half of the residents, Sir::

::We won't be able to hold back the Decepticons much longer!::

::We are attempting to utilize civilian cargo freighters in addition to our own ships. Give us another hour Optimus and we should have the rest of the younglings transported out of here!::

::I'm not sure if we can hold out another hour! Save as many as you can and keep me posted!::

::Yes, Sir!::

The com channel was cut and Optimus returned to the mission at hand. He watched with dread as an approaching Decepticon platoon armed with rocket launchers, chain-guns, and energy barriers marched forward. The leader of the Autobots watched on in horror as the four Autobot turrets exploded one at a time as each was hit by computer-targeted rocket missiles.

They _definitely_ didn't have another hour…

* * *

Ratchet was concerned. Bumblebee refused his energon treat upon awakening. He thought for sure the little one would be all too eager for it. It was even more worrisome when the little youngling refused his daily energon. He tried to get the tiny child to open up but Bumblebee refused to look at him and simply remained curled in his arms. Ratchet held the child up in front of his face and was startled to see the bleak, dull look in the youngling's optics and the indifference on his faceplates.

"Bumblebee…What's the matter? Why won't you speak to me?"

The tiny youngling remained deathly silent. His dim optics stared down at the floor as his body remained limp in Ratchet's hands.

That's when the Autobot medic understood.

The child was depressed.

"Oh dear one…Optimus will be back before you know it."

The small youngling made no comment and was devoid of any emotion. Ratchet was beyond worried now. A youngling his age would normally express some sort of feeling. The Autobot medic frowned with concern. The only explanation was a dire one.

The child was losing the will to live…

Bumblebee's young processor must have reached the conclusion that his newly adopted father was not returning regardless of what others had told him. That coupled with the trauma he was still recovering from after the deaths of his parents was already taking a great toll on his spark. Optimus was considered a permanent parental figure and the strong attachment the little one formed with him was a great one. The mere notion that Bee lost his new father in addition to his spark parents must be too spark-breaking and emotionally draining for the young child to handle.

"Please little one…drink your energon. You need it to grow big and strong like your new daddy Optimus!"

Ratchet felt his own spark breaking when the tiny yellow youngling ignored him and shut back down into recharge.

"Oh Primus…help him. What do I do?" Ratchet stared up at the ceiling as he hoped beyond hope that his prayer would be heard. He looked back at the slumbering child in his arms and attempted to awaken him. Ratchet began to panic when all attempts at awakening Bumblebee failed. He immediately placed the little one on an examination table and ran scans on him. He gasped when he received the results.

Bumblebee's spark was fading…

"Primus no…"

Ratchet ran to the com unit on the wall next to the med-bay door and hit the communications channel.

"Perceptor! Wheeljack! I need you both here on the double!"

A couple of minutes later the two scientists arrived on the scene. Ratchet explained to them what the emergency was and the two newly arrived mechs gasped in disbelief.

"The only logical way for the child to resume normal function is if he is reunited with Optimus. I'm afraid that's impossible for the time being due to the Youth Sector crisis. Its' unknown how long Prime will remain absent."

"How much time does the kid have left Ratchet?" Wheeljack questioned with wide optics.

"If Optimus does not return within the next two solar cycles…the youngling may be lost to us."

"Is there anything we can do in the meantime?" Perceptor asked as he brought a hand up to his chin in contemplation.

"What if we fool the kid into believing Optimus returned? We could have one of us disguise ourselves with holographic technology and create a vocal synthesizer to imitate Optimus's own voice," Wheeljack suggested.

"That is a possibility. However it may do the child more harm than good if the ruse were to fail. Introducing the youngling to such a deceitful act could in theory destroy the chance that he would believe Optimus was the real article when he returned. I don't think it's a risk worth taking," Ratchet spoke softly with deep sorrow.

"Doc…if Bee gets worse…we just might have to risk it…I mean, if it would save the kid's life!" Wheeljack protested.

"I think it would be best to implement such a plan but only in a dire emergency," Perceptor agreed.

Ratchet was loath to sanction their idea.

"Alright…we need to be prepared for such an event. I want the two of you to begin working on the holo emitter and voice synthesizer immediately. I'm going to keep Bumblebee here with me in the med-bay."

"Keep us posted, Ratchet."

The two scientists wished the CMO farewell and left the med-bay to begin work on their assigned projects.

Ratchet returned to Bumblebee's bedside and looked down at him with a downcast face.

"Oh little one…if only you knew how much you are loved," Ratchet tenderly stroked the small youngling's cheek plate. He'd quickly grown fond of the little one within the short time he knew him. The CMO had a soft spot reserved for the youngling. The medic was usually rather tough and was known for his gruffness. If any bot were to attempt to reveal his caring nature or even comment on the matter, they would undoubtedly receive a wrench to the head.

Ratchet pulled a chair over and sat beside the slumbering youngling.

"Hold on child. Your father Optimus will come back, I promise." Ratchet leaned down and kissed the precious youngling's helm with tears glimmering in his optics. He didn't want to think of what would become of little Bumblebee should his promise fail.

 _Oh Optimus…please hurry. Your son needs you now more than ever._

He began his faithful vigil…hoping to Primus that Optimus would return…and soon.

* * *

The Decepticons were gaining ground and they were on the verge of overrunning the Autobots' position. Optimus didn't want to admit defeat just yet and encouraged his troops to press on.

"Stand together Autobots! Fight for your families, for your comrades beside you! Fight for the future of the younglings we've vowed to protect! Fight together as one… AND FEAR NO DARKNESS!"

The Autobots rallied behind their leader and gave it their all.

::Status report Mirage!::

::We have 93% of the residents evacuated, Sir::

::Get the younglings you cannot extract to a safe place! The Decepticons will soon overrun our position and will sweep through the building!::

::We will do our best Optimus::

Their conversation was replaced with static as the Decepticons enforced a communications block. Ten minutes later, the Decepticons breeched the Autobot's defensive barrier and engaged them in hand to hand combat. Optimus's arm blades extended and he began to fight the Decepticons that challenged him. He watched with despair when he witnessed the enemy troopers invade the youngling's sanctuary.

"AUTOBOTS FALL BACK! INTO THE BUILDING!"

The remaining Autobots numbering nearly two hundred and twenty-six slowly retreated into the building and once inside they barricaded all of the entrances and exits but knew it was futile. The Decepticons were armed with heavy weaponry that could easily blast through whatever they used to block the doors.

"Autobots, fan out and find the remaining younglings! Keep them out of Decepticon reach!"

Half of the Autobots carried out his order and ran further into the building to rescue the younglings still left behind while the others remained behind to hold off the invaders. A few of the soldiers encountered stray Decepticons that were on a similar such mission. Those they dispatched easily enough until they reached a few Cons who held younglings up as hostages.

"Come any closer Autobot scum and we'll blow these little fraggers' heads off!"

"Let the younglings go!"

"If I were you, I'd be hunting down the rest of the little vermin yourselves. It won't be long until the last of them become the property of lord Megatron!"

"Why you pompous son-of-a-" one of the Autobot soldiers stepped forward in rage but was stopped when a fellow comrade held him back.

"He's right…we need to carry out Optimus's orders. The Prime told us this would happen…we can't save them all."

"Indeed, so run along Autobots!" the Decepticon cackled maniacally and ran down the hallway with his compatriots and disappeared around a corner.

The Autobots heard younglings screaming in terror further ahead and ran in the hopes they weren't too late.

-Meanwhile—

The Decepticons finally succeeded in breaking completely into the Youth Sector and overran the Autobot's position. Optimus shouted his next order with a heavy spark.

"AUTOBOTS RETREAT!"

The Autobots ran through the building managing to scoop up a few younglings that had still been running from the various intruders and hastened out of the building and to Ironhide's awaiting gunship. The remaining Autobot survivors boarded the last of the transports and left the youth sector with grim faces. Once they were high in the air they saw Decepticons down below carry squirming and screaming younglings out of the building and towards the smirking, towering form Megatron. It was a spark-breaking sight and a few soldiers couldn't stop the unshed tears from leaking out of their optics. There appeared to be a significant number of younglings now in the clutches of the Decepticons.

"Autobots, our fight is not yet over. We will engage them again in due time. Pilot, take us to the Corona-2 outpost."

"Yes, Sir."

The surviving Autobots headed for the refugee camp. Optimus refused to give up on the captured younglings and vowed to begin planning a daring rescue mission that some would consider to be suicide. For the sake of the future of their race, the leader of the Autobots was more than willing to do no less.

TO BE CONTINUED!

* * *

Author's Note: Thanks for reading, reviewing, and adding to alerts and favorites! :D


	5. I Need You Daddy

Author's Note: Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! I must admit that I'm enjoying writing this story. There was a star wars story I've been writing on my other fanfiction profile that I desperately needed a break from. I was burned out on it. This one is definitely my new muse and if my updates get slow there is no need to be concerned. I always finish my stories.

Disclaimer: The cover image is not mine it belongs to peppermintwind on Deviant art website. I found the image in google images.

 **CHAPTER 5**

The Autobots finally finished distributing energon rations to the survivors of the Omega Youth Sector. Thankfully the majority of the caretakers and younglings that had been evacuated were unharmed. Optimus Prime's soldiers however were not as fortunate. The leader of the Autobots drafted all medical officers and technicians in neighboring Autobot sectors and mandated that they all rendezvous at the Corona-2 Outpost immediately.

Ratchet received the summons as did Wheeljack and Perceptor. While it was true that the two scientists were inventors first, they still retained rudimentary first aid skills. The casualties must be bad if Optimus ordered medical assistants as well as actual medics. Ratchet contacted his leader directly and delivered his grim report in regards to Bumblebee's condition.

"Optimus…the youngling will offline within the next solar cycle should you remain separated. He needs a stable spark connection with a parental figure and he's chosen you. I've done everything I can to help him."

The leader of the Autobots was torn. He wanted to keep the sweet little youngling safe by keeping him confined in the most secure Autobot base available to them which happened to be located deep within the shining capital city of Iacon itself. Optimus would never forgive himself if Bumblebee came to any harm. He needed to keep Thunderbolt's son far from Decepticon reach. Megatron would no doubt terminate the youngling should he discover that the child of his slain enemy still lived. Thunderbolt proved himself to be a formidable foe despite the fact he had been a neutral. If the tiny child's spark was rapidly fading as Ratchet proclaimed…the youngling wouldn't last another day. It was in that moment that Optimus realized he would do _anything_ to save the little one.

"Very well. Bring Bumblebee with you to the Corona-2 Outpost. Keep him safe," Optimus couldn't keep the protective edge out of his voice. It made Ratchet smile.

"Have no fear. Safe he shall remain."

With a silent nod of acceptance, Optimus cut the transmission. The leader of the Autobots grabbed Jazz's arm as he was passing by.

"Jazz…Bumblebee will be transported here within the hour. As his primary caretaker I must currently see to the youngling's needs. I need both you and Prowl to assist me in covering my duties until further notice."

"Sure thing Optimus," Jazz smiled before running off to find the Autobot tactician in question.

Optimus vented a sigh. His duties as leader were quite demanding and he knew that he would not always be able to care for the precious little youngling that had forever captivated his spark. He rubbed his temple with an armored hand in silent contemplation. He would need to find an appropriate guardian for the child. He was rather surprised when he was approached by a willing candidate. That was rather ironic considering the fact he hadn't yet voiced the subject.

"Optimus…I heard that your youngling is coming here. If you need someone to watch him, I'd be happy to."

 _Your youngling_

The leader of the Autobots internally smiled. He was honored that the child's dying father entrusted his son to him. Optimus became a father overnight. He didn't mind it so much although he had the feeling that Ratchet would soon give him a crash course on parenting. That should prove interesting... Ratchet was very experienced. It was the elder bot that had helped care for a young Optimus after his father's assassination at the hands of Megatron. The rest of the Autobots would need to be educated as well on how to care for younglings...especially the child's future guardian.

"Thank you for volunteering Ironhide. I have a good feeling that the little one will be safest with you."

"You can be slagging sure of that, Prime. No Con will ever get within a hundred miles of the little guy," Ironhide promised as he finished polishing his guns.

"Very well. You shall be Bumblebee's appointed guardian during the days that I am unable to care for the child myself."

"I won't let you down Optimus."

"Thank you old friend," the leader of the Autobots smiled with a pat on Ironhide's shoulder before he turned to walk away. Ironhide began walking in the opposite direction most likely to go to the armory.

Optimus's next words halted Ironhide mid-stride.

"And Ironhide…I trust that you'll censor your language around the youngling…" Optimus struggled to maintain a straight face but was failing miserably. The trigger happy mech was rather brazen when it came to swearing. Some of the colorful words that shot out of his mouth even made some of the younger Decepticons cringe.

Ironhide nodded and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Will do, Prime."

Optimus Prime nodded silently with laughter in his optics and then proceeded to take a stroll through the refugee camp to see how things were progressing. So far the caretakers, sparklings, and younglings were settling down just fine. The only worrisome thing was that the Autobots would not be able to harbor them at the Outpost forever. They would need to be permanently relocated. They had enough energon to last them a few weeks at most.

The leader of the Autobots carefully dodged two running, rambunctious younglings and watched in amusement as the caretaker responsible for them ran in hot pursuit while shouting a warning that a list of punishments awaited them should they continue to misbehave. Optimus couldn't help but wonder what sort of youngling Bumblebee would turn out to be… would he be quiet and reserved? Or would little Bee become as happy and carefree as the two little ones that narrowly avoided colliding with him?

Time would tell.

He was surprised when another set of younglings ran straight for him unsupervised.

"Are you one of the good guys that saved us?" one of the two younglings rushed while the second grabbed one of Optimus's armored hands. The question was rather rhetorical but the youngling felt the need to ask it regardless.

"Yes little one. My name is Optimus, I'm the leader of the Autobots. What are your names?"

"I'm Smokescreen and this is Bluestreak," the little mechling in question gestured to himself and then to his young companion.

"Where is your designated caretaker?" Optimus questioned as he knelt down so he could be more level with them.

"We don't know. We can't find her."

"I will help you find your guardian younglings. Come with me…" Optimus stood believing that was the reason they had approached him. That was not to be the case he soon learned.

"Wait! Our two friends…they were taken by the scary ones!"

"We tried to stay together but we got separated!"

"Please, you have to help us!" one of the younglings choked on a sob as tears brimmed in his optics.

"I am afraid we aren't able to right now," Optimus shook his head sadly.

"Please…please, if you are the leader you can do anything!" Bluestreak begged as tears leaked from his optics.

"Your friends who were taken…what are their names?"

"Sunny and Sides. They are twin brothers."

"And our best friends," Smokescreen growled at the Autobot leader with narrowed optics. His friends needed rescuing and he wasn't about to allow this big bot, leader or not, to simply ignore them.

Optimus vented a sigh and stood. He offered his hands for the younglings to take. They silently grasped the Autobot leader's hands and began walking side by side with him.

"I promise younglings that we are doing everything in our power to rescue your friends. Many of our troops have been injured. It will take some time for reinforcements to arrive. Once they do, we will try to save those that were taken captive by the Decepticons."

"Why did the bad ones take our friends?"

"What's gonna happen to them?"

"I'm not sure younglings. Hopefully those questions will be answered soon."

Optimus and the two younglings searched high and low for their caretaker and couldn't find her anywhere. The leader of the Autobots attempted to find an alternative guardian but most of the surviving caretakers had reached their maximum youngling limit. Sparklings were the first to be cared for and there were many caretakers that perished during the Decepticon assault. The adult residents of the former Omega Youth Sector were now in the minority. The leader of the Autobots looked down upon the two younglings that still had a hold of his hands and made a decision. Bluestreak and Smokescreen were old enough that they didn't need to be constantly supervised.

"The two of you may stay with one of my officers if you promise to be good."

"Why can't we stay with you?" Bluestreak asked innocently as he subconsciously tightened his grip on the Autobot leader's larger hand.

"Unfortunately there is much work that I need to do. I cannot supervise you at this time. Mirage!"

The young Autobot who heard his name being shouted turned his head up from where he had been studying a holo-map with a superior officer and jogged over.

"Yes, sir?"

"I need you to care for these two until a suitable caretaker can be found. Do you think you are up for the task soldier?"

"Not a problem! I do have a younger brother you know…I have plenty of practice." Mirage smiled.

Optimus thanked the Maker that Mirage did.

"Thank you. Please inform me should you or the younglings require anything."

Mirage ushered the two younglings away from Optimus and took them to a refueling station since the young ones admitted that they hadn't had any energon since their arrival at the Outpost.

The leader of the Autobots exhaled a relieved sigh when he saw transports land and begin to unload medical supplies along with the medical staff he had drafted. He watched for a while and began to grow edgy. Where was his youngling?

 _Where was Bumblebee?_

* * *

The tiny yellow youngling opened his optics after his deep recharge. Despite the fact he was well rested, he still felt energy deprived. Ratchet was currently holding him and the medic was staring down at him with a frown. Bee shrank away and refused to meet his piercing gaze, feeling highly uncomfortable.

"Youngling…you must consume your energon."

Bee remained silent. He didn't want any. He didn't feel like he needed any. All the tiny child could feel was a deep ache and the worst feeling of loneliness consuming his spark. It hurt so badly. When Ratchet attempted to feed him, the little youngling shoved the bottle containing low-grade energon away with his tiny hands.

Ratchet carried the depressed youngling with him after packing together a large bag full of supplies, most of them for the injured bots he would be repairing. He was sure to bring Bumblebee's stuffed Optimus toy and the soft yellow blanket that Wheeljack made for him. The CMO wrapped the tiny one in his blanket and cradled him with the bottle still firmly in his hand.

"We are going to go see Optimus. Don't you want to be a big, strong bot like him?" Ratchet tried yet again to get the small youngling to drink his energon as he began walking towards the exit and to the awaiting transport that would carry them to the Corona-2 Outpost. Ratchet hoped that Optimus would be able to get Bee to drink his energon or else he would be forced to give the little one an energon transfusion. That would not be a pleasant experience for the small mechling.

The little one's optics dimmed as his energon deprived body began to shut down into another recharge. Ratchet cursed softly to himself as he strapped himself into the transport after securing his bag in a storage compartment. He held Bee against his chassis. The CMO was relieved once they finally lifted up into the air and blasted off towards the Corona-2 Outpost.

"Pilot, how long until we arrive at the refugee camp?"

"Not long, sir. We'll be there within the next fifteen minutes."

Ratchet was satisfied for the time being and kept a careful watch over his little patient. He felt his spark aching the longer the tiny child recharged. He needed energon to survive for Primus's sake! He could not resort to an energon transfusion until they finally landed or if Optimus miraculously managed to get the mechling to consume it himself.

The medic could only hope that they got there in time…

* * *

Sunny and Sides screamed in fury as they struggled against their captors.

"Let us go!"

"Let us go or else!"

"Ha! Or else what, you stupid child?!"

"Don't call him stupid you glitch-head!" the red mechling squeaked with fury.

It annoyed the twin brothers that their adorable youngling voices made it absolutely impossible for them to sound even remotely intimidating.

The twins tried kicking and punching the Decepticon currently holding them in the face as they dangled helplessly in the air by their scruff bars. Their pitiful efforts merely provoked harsh laughter from their captor. Soon the younglings were thrown in cages along with other captured younglings like them. The younglings all varied in ages although it appeared that the twins were two of the youngest members present. Other younglings continued to scream and cry although a few younglings that were much older took charge and attempted to quiet them down. Three of them stood out in particular. Instead of cages they occupied an actual prison cell. If the twins remembered correctly, the three elder younglings were brothers too. If they had remained residents of the Youth Sector they would have been released within the year.

"We need to find a way to escape…" one of the three elder younglings whispered softly.

"What will they do to us…"Sunny questioned one of the three brothers with unshed tears glimmering in his baby blue optics.

"We don't know. We'll find out soon though…" the one known as Skywarp said quietly while fiddling with the lock on the cell door but to no avail.

"It's no use…we aren't going anywhere. These cages are pretty sturdy," Thundercracker groaned as a hopeless feeling began to gnaw at him.

"Starscream…the three of us are the eldest out of all the younglings. We have to find a way to get them out of here before the Decepticons come back to do Primus-knows-what to us!"

"Patience. The time will come. Once they free the three of us we can overpower the guards and release the younglings."

"Starscream…we can only fre—" Skywarp was cut off when the door to the cell block opened and a handful of Decepticons entered. They lined the hall and saluted.

The younglings were curious as to why they were performing such an action. That's when they saw him. The leader of the Decepticons. Next to the quivering, shaking forms of the innocent younglings stood the towering behemoth.

"Welcome younglings to your new home! I am Megatron, leader of the Decepticons. You have no reason to fear. Once my soldiers have made necessary living accomodations for you, you will be granted your freedom. If anyone misbehaves, you will be punished severely. Unless you want to remain locked in your lovely little cages you will do as I command. Now which of you would like to be released first?"

The young audience numbering 358 remained firmly silent. The little ones knew their kidnappers were bad people.

The Decepticon leader chuckled with a wicked smirk.

"If no volunteers are forthcoming, I shall have to choose candidates myself!"

Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp all wanted to volunteer so that the monster couldn't get his evil claws on any of the other younglings but they had a feeling and just knew that should they attempt to rebel this Megatron person might have no qualms about killing them. The three brothers witnessed the brutal murders of some of the caretakers and a few sparklings at their hands. There was no way they could escape while the leader of the Decepticons was near. They needed to wait until security became a little more lax.

"Very well then. Soundwave, pick five younglings and release them. They will start their…education…immediately," Megatron smirked with a wicked twinkle in his eye.

There were many potentials to choose from.

The loyal communications officer obeyed his leader and selected five young candidates. They were freed and Decepticons carried the loud, protesting younglings out of the room. Starscream shrieked as he reached a hand out through the cell bars and snarled.

"Where are you taking them, you monster?!"

Megatron turned to look at the elder youngling with a dark grin.

"Not to worry. They will be unharmed. You too will have your freedom soon, I promise…"

With those words the leader of the Decepticons accompanied by a squadron of troopers marched out of the cell block leaving only a few guards to watch the confined younglings.

"What do you think he meant by that?" Skywarp frowned with a shudder. The Decepticon leader creeped him out…

"I'm sure it's nothing good."

"Now what do we do?" Thundercracker vented a sigh as he sat down on the floor of their shared cell.

"We wait."

For the time being…that was the only thing the younglings could do…

* * *

Once the transport landed Ratchet leaped out and was relieved that he didn't have to run very far. Optimus had been waiting for them. The leader of the Autobots took the recharging youngling from Ratchet along with the rest of the tiny youngling's newfound possessions and went to his temporary quarters deep within the Corona-2 Outpost. Optimus cradled the little one, blanket and all, against his chest and went to lay down on a recharge berth. He gently and lovingly stroked Bumblebee's back panels. His spark ached for the little one.

The yellow youngling remained unconscious. Hours passed and Bumblebee had yet to awaken. Optimus took the little one to Ratchet immediately when he sensed that there was something wrong. The CMO ran another scan and felt his spark skip a beat.

"Primus no…his spark is nearly extinguished. I'm going to have to give him an energon transfusion."

"Will the child be alright once the transfusion is complete?"

"I can't promise anything. It's too soon to tell."

"I want to be his donor. Take my energon Ratchet," Optimus ordered grimly as he locked optics with the elder bot.

"As you wish, Optimus."

Ratchet withdrew energon from one of Optimus's vital energon lines and then began the transfusion procedure as he initiated a stable IV line within Bumblebee's arm. The child was so energon deprived he was unable to awaken from recharge which is why his body shut down in an effort to preserve his spark in the first place. Optimus watched silently, all the while praying fervently that the little one would survive. He couldn't lose the youngling he now considered his own! The possibility was unbearable.

"Come back to me, my child." Optimus softly stroked the tiny youngling's cheekplate. Ratchet kept a close optic on the little one's vital signs and quietly watched the interaction between his leader and the unconscious form of the yellow plated youngling.

Hours went by and both elder bots were relieved to see that Bumblebee's condition began to improve. His spark was no longer in danger of extinguishing and his energon levels were normalizing.

"The rest is up to you Optimus. I highly recommend you remain with him. You are the first person he needs to see once he awakens from recharge."

"I would have it no other way my friend."

Optimus gently lifted the small, fragile creature into his arms and cradled little Bee. He wrapped the precious child in his soft, yellow blanket and kissed his helm. He took with him another energon bottle per Ratchet's orders as he headed back to his temporary quarters. Optimus remained awake and alert and simply watched the little one rest. Optimus noticed the stuffed toy designed after his own image and couldn't help but smile. That was very clever of Wheeljack. He would have to thank the inventor when next they met.

As Optimus held Bee, deep feelings were stirred within his spark and he felt a strong attachment forming for his adopted son. He would do anything to keep the sweet spark safe. The leader of the Autobots smiled as he gazed down upon the peaceful face of the innocent child nestled securely in his arms. His spark nearly exploded with joy when Bumblebee's brilliant blue optics slowly blinked open.

Bumblebee looked up into the smiling face of his daddy and reached a small hand up to lightly touch Optimus's faceplates releasing a soft coo. He clicked and chirped and snuffled Optimus's chest as he curled further into his father's embrace. He was so relieved to see that he had returned to him.

"Stay with me…" the little one squeaked as he clung to his guardian for all he was worth.

"Oh my sweet child, I am happy to see that you are okay. I will stay with you," Optimus promised as he cuddled with the youngling.

"Play?"

Optimus was surprised. The child knew how to play?

"You want to play a game Bumblebee?"

The little one nodded shyly with a small giggle as he wiggled to get down. Optimus smiled as he indulged the child. He played the "chase" game that Bee learned with Wheeljack and his spark soared with joy to see the bubbly youngling so happy.

"I'm going to get you!" Optimus grinned as he slowly lumbered after Bee. The child screamed with laughter when his daddy finally captured him and showered him with cuddles and kisses.

"No dada! Down!"

Optimus set the squirming, energetic youngling back down on the floor and watched him run around the room so innocent and carefree. The leader of the Autobots hoped he would be able to shield Bumblebee from the horrors of their war until he was old enough to fight-should he choose that path- and vowed to keep the child safe no matter what. The yellow youngling was a ray of light in the darkness of Optimus's life.

Bumblebee laughed even harder when Optimus scooped him up and tossed him high in the air and caught him before tickling his sensitive midsection. The child's laughter made Optimus smile brightly and he laughed with him. It had been a long time since Optimus had laughed…

Father and son continued to play until Bumblebee needed to be fed again. Optimus picked him up and Bumblebee eagerly sucked down the low grade energon leaving an empty bottle in a matter of minutes.

 _That had to be a new record_ … Optimus silently mused.

The child didn't need to recharge for a while so begged Optimus to keep playing with him. The new father smiled softly and obliged him. He enjoyed every moment they shared.

The leader of the Autobots wished that the time they spent together would never end…

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED!

Author's Note: Hopefully that wasn't too big a cliffie. I have a terrible knack for writing those… lol. The next update might be a little delayed because I have a lot of stuff going on right now with real life issues. I hope you stick with the story though because I do intend to complete it! Thanks for reading, reviewing, and adding me to alerts and favorites! I appreciate your support. X3


	6. Spark-link Forged

Author's Note: I want to give a special thanks to those that reviewed last chapter. Reviews, adding to alerts and favorites are not just always appreciated…but can encourage and inspire an author to continue the story as well. So thank you to those that have! :D

Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics or the song "More Than I Can Say" by Twila Paris. It comes from her album _Bedtime Prayers and Lullabies._

 **CHAPTER 6**

Bumblebee opened his optics and felt a little disoriented. He didn't remember falling into recharge…

The little yellow mechling was currently laying on Optimus's chest half-buried beneath his soft fuzzy blanket. He had a tiny hand wrapped around one of the Prime's large fingers. Bumblebee's other arm was wrapped securely around his Optimus plushie. The youngling was content to simply remain where he was and kept his right audio against his adopted father's chassis just above his spark. The steady, powerful rhythm and thrumming of Optimus's spark relaxed him. His own internal systems revved in quiet content. He felt so safe, warm, and secure.

Optimus was already awake watching over his little one and gently stroked Bee's back plating earning a soft purr in response.

Some time had passed since the deaths of Bumblebee's parents and his arrival into the Autobot's care. While his spark pained him on some occasions due to the severed bonds he once had with his mother and father, the new spark link he was creating with Optimus gave him the internal peace and love that he needed. It was a void that was slowly being filled and the tiny child couldn't be happier. He knew his new daddy loved him.

There were still some nights that little Bee would wake up from nightmares. Optimus would always be there to wipe his tears and whisper soothing words of comfort. There were a couple of times that the Autobot leader went out of his way to coax him back into recharge in a very special way. Optimus would sing lullabies to his little Bee until the tiny child succumbed to his exhaustion. They were lullabies that the Autobot leader's own mother had sung to him when he'd been small, long ago. Optimus never imagined he would ever have the opportunity to pass them down to another young spark.

He remembered a night fairly recently when Bumblebee woke up screaming.

" _NO! Help! Stay away!" the little one squeaked and squirmed as if trying to escape an unseen enemy. The tiny youngling hadn't shared the contents of his nightmares with Optimus because he was too scared too. He was afraid that if he told his new daddy about them, the scary lady would hurt him._

" _My child! Bumblebee! It's me. I'm here with you!" The leader of the Autobots helped bring the child out of his troubled recharge cycle._

" _Daddy?" the tiny mechling whimpered with wide optics that were brimming with unshed tears._

" _You're safe now," Optimus held the frightened child against his chassis and rubbed Bumblebee's back panels soothingly. The small youngling buried his face within the crook of Optimus's neck and clung to him._

 _His little frame was shaking hard and his face reflected pure terror when he looked back at his father._

 _He had the same nightmare that he'd been plagued with since the deaths of his parents. Bumblebee dreamt that he was buried beneath the rubble of his home. He would always see the ceiling caving in on his mother. He was always too late to save her because he was trapped in the vault. He would reach his tiny digits out to touch her and that was when she would turn scary. So over the course of time whenever Bumblebee saw his mother in his dreams he avoided going anywhere near her and found a way to free himself from the wreckage in order to escape. Escape seemed impossible because no matter where he turned he was trapped within the twisted wreckage of his old home._

 _He would cower down, trying his best to hide himself from the scary lady but she always found him. She kept telling him to join the bad people because if he didn't, the bad people would hurt him like they hurt his daddy Thunderbolt. Then she would quickly grab his arm or his leg and try to drag him down into the debris with her. That's when he would cry desperately for help as he struggled to escape the darkness that was threatening to overwhelm him._

 _Optimus cradled Bumblebee and looked down on him with love. Despite the fact Bumblebee recharged with him every night, he still kept a small light on. It wasn't long after the nightmares began that Optimus learned the tiny child was afraid of the dark. The Autobot leader took Bee's yellow blanket and covered him with it. He caressed the frightened child's cheek-plate with a gentle touch and that's when he began to sing._

" _ **The One who makes the children, is watching from above. He placed you in a family, so that you could know his love. A mother and a father…to hold you here on earth but He was with you long before, the moment of your birth…**_ _"_

 _His voice was deep, strong, soothing, and filled with all the love held for the child. Optimus was a very good singer despite the fact he rarely used his voice in such a manner. Very few were privy to his secret ability. Bumblebee grasped one of Optimus's large fingers and hugged it to his chest as he curled further into his father's embrace as he was held._

" _ **And if you don't have a mother…He will sing you lullabies. And He'll be right beside you every day. If you're all alone at night in bed. If you feel like crying, it's okay…He will wipe your tears away. He loves you…more than I can say. And He is always taking care of you. He loves you, more than I can say…and more than I can say He hopes, that you will love him too…"**_

 _Bumblebee's optics began to dim and he clicked tiredly as the stress and tension slowly began to flood out of his body. He gazed up into the brilliant blue optics of Optimus and listened intently._

" _ **The One who hears the children, has known you from the start. He placed you in a family so that you could feel His heart. A mother and a father, to keep you safe and warm…but He was with you long before, the day that you were born. And if you don't have a daddy…He will be your father too. And He will always keep you in His sight. When it gets too dark to see ahead…and you can't find your way, it's still alright. He will be your guiding light."**_

 _The tiny yellow mechling couldn't keep his optics open any longer and slowly succumbed to recharge as Optimus's strong, gentle voice filled him with peace. The words of the lullaby filled his audios and drifted with him into a much needed rest._

" _ **He loves you, more than I can say. And He is always taking care of you. He loves you, more than I can say…and more than I can say He hopes, that you will love Him too…"**_

 _Bumblebee was deep in recharge by the song's end. Optimus kissed his adopted son's helm and smiled._

" _I love you, my child. Have sweeter dreams tonight."_

 _Optimus fell into recharge himself not long after with a soft smile. He had a strong feeling in his spark that the Lifemaker would grant the little one the rest he deserved._

Optimus snapped himself back to the present. After getting to know Bumblebee a little better over the course of time, he began to see the tiny yellow mechling as his own son. He started to enjoy his new title as 'father'. It warmed his spark whenever the yellow youngling would call him that.

Fortune was on Optimus's side. So far, his youngling was well behaved and rarely required discipline. He brought this to Ratchet's attention and the elder bot laughed uproariously. Optimus wasn't sure whether to feel confused or frightened by his mentor's reaction. Ratchet explained that once Bumblebee grew old enough to learn right from wrong and began making decisions on his own, things would change. The precious little youngling might prove to be a handful in the future…or so Ratchet had warned.

For the time being, Optimus would cherish Bumblebee's innocence. There was no knowing how long that would last. Optimus believed the tiny youngling would remain so for a while longer. He gazed down upon the sleepy youngling with soft optics filled with love. All Optimus wanted was to see his youngling happy…

He remained where he was and didn't want to disturb the little one's rest. Bumblebee must have decided that he'd rested well enough because he slowly sat up, releasing Optimus's finger. He rubbed his optics with small fists and looked up at his new daddy and released a small, happy chirrup.

The larger mech got up with him and smiled down at his young charge.

"Good-morning, my child. What would you like to do today?"

"Want en'gon." The little youngling stated simply as he began to reach for one of the empty bottles left on a nearby nightstand.

"Energon it is then," Optimus chuckled as he snuffled Bumblebee's midsection with his nose-plate, and tickled the tiny child, earning a shrill laugh.

They left Prime's quarters and went to the refueling station. Optimus filled a bottle full of low grade and began to feed a very hungry Bumblebee. Optimus Prime was the leader of the Autobots, and as such, he rarely had free time for anything other than work. So parenting was the last thing Optimus ever believed he would end up doing…and so far, he was loving it.

A few weeks went by and the refugees from the Omega Youth Sector had all been relocated to different Autobot protected encampments within the city of Iacon while a new youth sector was being built. If Megatron wanted another go at those innocent sparklings and younglings…he would have to get through the entire Autobot army first. That would be mass suicide on Megatron's part.

Mirage appeared a few minutes later with two energetic younglings at his side. Due to the inability to find a suitable guardian from the remaining youth sector's adult populace, it was decided that the two younglings would remain with the Autobots for the time being.

"Smokescreen, Bluestreak…say hello to Bumblebee," Optimus introduced them with a smile.

Smokescreen immediately pouted and crossed his arms and muttered something beneath his breath that Mirage and Bluestreak overheard. The youngling was jealous that the small yellow mechling had garnered Optimus Prime's full attention. He was bent out of shape that the leader of the Autobots wouldn't let them stay with him beforehand and yet now he was caring for a different mechling…

Bumblebee at that point had finished with the energon bottle and was staring down at the two elder younglings with fascinated curiosity. He'd never seen other children such as himself before. Optimus carefully placed the fragile, tiny youngling down where he shrank away, suddenly feeling a little overwhelmed and insecure as the two elder mechlings towered over him. Smokescreen's demeanor immediately changed. He crouched down to further inspect Bee. He smiled warmly after a moment.

"Hi Bumblebee! Don't be scared, we're your friends."

The yellow youngling marveled at the unfamiliar term. _What was a 'friend'?_

"Wanna' play with us?" Bluestreak questioned.

"Go ahead Bumblebee…why don't you go play." Optimus smiled down at him.

Bumblebee clicked and whirred and stumbled over to Optimus's large foot. Once he made it to him, he latched on and didn't let go. Optimus reached down to pick up the distressed youngling and met the optics of the other two little ones.

"Aww…what's the matter with him…is he shy?" Bluestreak questioned as he struggled to sneak a better peak at the tiny youngling who was shielded within Prime's strong arms.

"His parents were killed by the Decepticons. He's wary of strangers, as he should be," Optimus spoke softly with sad optics.

"I'm sure one of these days he will play with you. He just needs to get to know you better first," Mirage winked down at his two charges.

Optimus patted Bumblebee's back panels while the child was resting his head against the Autobot leader's shoulder. The leader of the Autobots wished Mirage and the other two younglings farewell and walked briskly to the rec room where he knew he would find the bot that would soon be responsible for caring for his little Bee. It was going to be a simple introduction so the little one would be able to recognize Ironhide in the future.

"Ironhide, old friend! There is someone I would like you to meet." Optimus greeted his best friend with a smile.

Ironhide set his cup full of high grade down on the table top and looked at Bumblebee with an appraising optic.

"So this is the lil' runt I'll be taking care of…" Ironhide stated simply as he locked optics with the tiny mechling.

Bumblebee hid his face by turning his body away and hugged Optimus with a small whimper. This new mech was intimidating and kind of scared him…

"Oh my sweetling, there is no need to be frightened. Ironhide is my best friend. He will take care of you for a little while on the days that I have to work."

The yellow mechling turned back around to look back at the bot that Optimus referred to as a 'friend'. The elder younglings he met earlier…Bluestreak and Smokescreen…told him that they were his 'friends'. He had a feeling that a friend was a good thing despite the fact he didn't entirely understand the curious word so he slowly began to relax.

"Nice to meet you, kid," Ironhide smiled as he reclined in his seat while putting his hands behind his head in a more relaxed posture. This had a positive effect on the youngling because now he knew this Ironhide person was a good bot and could be trusted. Bumblebee still felt cautious because he still didn't know him very well but his daddy Optimus told him that once he did, Ironhide would become family to him too.

Optimus tried to coax the youngling into sitting on the table so that Bee and Ironhide could become more acquainted but the tiny mechling would have none of it and latched onto Optimus again. It was almost as if the child was afraid that if he let go, he would never see his adopted father again.

"In time he will grow fond of you Ironhide, I have no doubt about that. He just needs more time," Optimus apologized.

"I'm here whenever he's ready," Ironhide nodded with a small smile.

Optimus caught sight of Jazz across the room and he excused himself from Ironhide's table and hastened to his lieutenant's side. Bumblebee immediately perked up and smiled shyly at the mech. He remembered him…this was the bot that saved him from the ruins of his old home. Jazz and Optimus talked for a little while until they were both pulled from their conversation when Bumblebee did the unexpected. The tiny yellow mechling actually _reached_ his small arms out to Jazz in a silent plea for the mech in question to hold him.

"Well I'll be…" Optimus murmured softly as he handed the child over to Jazz's awaiting hands.

"Hey little guy…you remember me?" Jazz smiled down at the youngling nestled securely in his arms.

Bumblebee nodded with a small giggle. He reached his hand up and touched Jazz's face with tiny digits in fascination as he got a better look at his former rescuer. It was a sparkling behavior he had yet to outgrow.

"You should feel honored Jazz. This is the first time Bumblebee willingly wanted to be held by any mech other than myself. It took an energon treat to get the child to cooperate for Ratchet." Optimus marveled as he gazed down upon his happy youngling.

Bumblebee snapped his head up to look at Optimus as soon as he heard the magical words 'energon treat'. The little yellow mechling immediately searched Jazz for the greatly desired energon candy but when none were forthcoming, he struggled to get down. Jazz put the little one on the floor and as soon as the child's tiny peds hit the ground, he immediately attempted to run off on his own…most likely to try to find Ratchet. Optimus captured his youngling and grabbed him by his scruff bar before he could get too far off and had to contend with a mild tantrum. Bumblebee whined, kicked, and struggled in an effort to get free. He began to hiss in fury when he realized he wasn't going anywhere and actually _growled_ at Optimus with narrowed optics.

Optimus looked upon the little one with disappointment.

"Bumblebee, that's _enough_!" Optimus barked in a firm voice, immediately silenced the misbehaving child. The yellow mechling stopped his tantrum and looked up at his father with wide optics. He'd never heard Optimus speak to him like that before. It kind of scared him. At the same time due to the spark link Bee had formed with his adopted father, the little one's spark could sense that he had done something wrong. He felt Optimus's frustration and disappointment. His vents began to heave in a sure sign a crying spell was forthcoming as his lower lip component began to tremble.

"Bumblebee, you are not to act in such a manner. Apologize to Jazz and to me," Optimus firmly ordered with a severe expression on his face.

The tiny mechling broke into sobs as he squeaked out his apologies. He reverted back to sparkling speech and buried his face against Optimus's chest once the elder mech embraced him and trembled. This was the first time he had ever been in trouble for something.

Optimus sighed and shook his head. Ratchet was right…his little Bee might prove to be a handful in due time. He wasn't too worried about it though. He knew how to discipline those that were out of line…especially his youngling. He had Ratchet to thank for that. His mentor had given him very sound advice and parenting tips.

The Autobot leader gently rubbed Bumblebee's back panels softly and then lifted the tiny youngling up so that he was dangling in front of his face. He looked at the child sadly.

"I love you Bumblebee. I spoke to you like that because you were acting like a naughty youngling. Do you understand?"

Bee nodded his head with a small sniffle and rubbed the tears out of his optics with his tiny fists. He curled into his father's loving embrace. Jazz got Bumblebee's attention and smiled.

"How bout' we play a game later? Sound like fun?"

The yellow mechling nodded somberly. He felt terrible. This was the first time he ever felt _guilt_.

"Say good-bye to Jazz!" Optimus's voice was now a bit more light-hearted.

Bee waved silently and couldn't help but release a small giggle when the smooth talking mech made a funny face at him. Optimus carried him out of the rec room and unexpectedly ran into Wheeljack. The inventor had his arms full of what looked like…

"Did you make those for Bumblebee?" Optimus asked incredulously.

There in the scientist's arms were an assortment of toys.

"Sure did! The little guy needs to have some fun. Besides, according to Ratchet, it might make sparkling-sitting Bumblebee a bit easier."

"Thank you, Wheeljack." Optimus smiled as he looked down to see the expression on his youngling's face. Bumblebee was intrigued but at the same time he didn't feel like he deserved them. The mechling felt love and reassurance flooding the spark link he had with Optimus just then, completely erasing the troubling emotions he was experiencing.

"Here Bee, take this! Ratchet made this one just for you," Wheeljack grinned beneath his mask.

He handed the proffered gift to the little youngling. Bumblebee took it and examined it with his tiny digits and smiled at the inventor.

"Thank you." He squeaked as happiness began to bubble up inside of him again.

There in his hand…was a toy wrench.

"Would you mind taking Bumblebee for a little while Wheeljack? I need to go to the command center. It's time we figure out a way to rescue those captured younglings…"

"Of course Optimus. I would be happy too."

"Bumblebee, be good for Wheeljack. I'm going to work for a little while but I will be back," Optimus kissed his youngling's helm.

Wheeljack took the child into his arms and walked to Optimus's quarters which was where the youngling felt the most comfortable. He dumped the bag full of toys on the floor and laughed when the little mechling was dumbfounded that he had so many interesting things to play with.

The inventor watched the little one and was pleased to see that the child was happy with his newly acquired treasures and sat down on the floor with Bumblebee.

They played until little Bee tired himself out. Wheeljack called Ratchet and told him to meet him at Prime's quarters. There was a sight that the medic absolutely had to see for himself…

"What's this all about," Ratchet began once he entered the room. He was silenced when Wheeljack put a finger to his lip components to hush him. He pointed down at the slumbering youngling, lost amidst the tiny mound of toys.

Ratchet's optics widened when he finally understood the reason why the inventor had called him there.

There in Bumblebee's tiny digits, was a miniature wrench grasped firmly in his hand. The sight brought a bright smile to the CMO's face and he couldn't stop the warm feelings within his spark from flooding his senses as the little youngling invoked old memories of a time long past. He had witnessed a similar such image many eons ago…when he'd been charged with caring for a little red and blue framed mechling.

The medic took a picture of Bumblebee and silently slipped out of the room. Wheeljack propped himself against a wall and watched the small child recharge. Those were the days, he mused. When Cybertron was free of the destruction of their war. When they were free of grief and despair…when death was not as commonplace. When sparklings and younglings could live carefree without a worry in the world. Sometimes the grown mech wished that he could go back in time and relive his time as a youngling. There were no responsibilities of any kind. No heavy burdens. If only those times could last.

 _Don't be in a hurry to grow up, kid…_

Wheeljack hoped that Bumblebee would enjoy being a child while he still could. There was no knowing what the future might hold…for any of them.

* * *

Optimus stood in the command center discussing possible rescue scenarios with Jazz, Ironhide, and Prowl.

"Our scouts have reported that the younglings are being held deep within Megatron's Kaon fortress in the lower levels."

"Is it possible for a small force to infiltrate the sublevel below the prison complex?" Optimus asked with a glimmer of hope.

"It might be. I estimate that only half a dozen at most could be used for this campaign. Any more than that and we risk losing the younglings for good," Ironhide stroked his chin in thought.

"Maybe if we keep the Decepticon's main attention focused on a larger force… by attempting a full-scale frontal assault…that might be enough time to secure the younglings and lead them out through the lower tunnels beneath Kaon." Prowl enlarged an area of the holo-map floating just above a display table and pointed to the tunnels.

"That might just work. The only setback is that the hatch from the prison level to the sub-level tunnel network isn't that large. Only a few younglings can be rescued at a time. The longer we remain inside the fortress, the greater the risk of being caught and pursued."

"I'm not sure how many of those younglings have acquired an alternate form already. Many of them haven't so we will need some form of alternate transport unit to smuggle them to safety."

"What about the hover-skiffs we use for mining?"

"A very good suggestion. I believe we have devised our rescue mission, Autobots. I will select the rescue team. Prowl and Ironhide, you will accompany me as will Mirage, Jazz, and Ratchet. We will need a medic on standby should any of the younglings require medical aid. Prepare for the mission. You have your orders Autobots. You are dismissed," Optimus nodded grimly.

He and the others prepared to disembark while many of his soldiers prepared to engage in the forward assault upon Megatron's fortress. Some would say it was suicide. A distraction was all they needed.

Optimus felt confident that they could pull it off.

 _Hold on little ones…we are coming._

TO BE CONTINUED!

* * *

Author's Note: sorry this chapter was shorter than the rest. I will do my best to post another update soon but can't make any promises. Thanks for reading! Please review!


	7. To be or not to be Rescued

Author's Note: Thanks so much for the wonderful reviews! :D I was amazed I got so many for last chapter! You guys really encourage me to keep going.

 **Chapter 7**

The number of the captured younglings locked in the cages slowly dwindled as Decepticons came and went to carry the "chosen ones" out to take them to Primus-knew-where. It disturbed the elder younglings that they had no knowledge of what was happening to the little ones. Starscream and his two brothers remained locked up. Despite Megatron's constant reassurances that the younglings were not being harmed, the three brothers remained very skeptical.

The twin brothers, Sunny and Sides, remained imprisoned next to Starscream and cowered down with small whimpers whenever one of the large Decepticon brutes came to forcefully yank a nearby youngling out from the safety of his or her cage. There was a youngling on the other side of the twin's cage who was close to their age. He introduced himself earlier. His name was Cliffjumper.

The remaining younglings waited with dread. Terrified. Wondering when they would be next. The younglings that were removed from the prison block, never returned. They could only imagine what was happening or what became of their peers. Two troopers entered at that moment and scanned the number of prisoners with keen optics.

"Lord Megatron ordered we take three more younglings," one of the Decepticon soldiers motioned to the children as he addressed a nearby guard. The guard simply nodded and remained silent as he stood at attention with an energy spear beside him, gripped firmly in one hand.

"What about that one?" the second trooper grunted at his comrade as he pointed at Cliffjumper.

"Well isn't he a little runt… looks like he's the smallest of the bunch."

"Do we take him, or not?"

"Our leader must decide. He might be too young…after that last youngling perished during the "initiation ceremony" Soundwave said there might be an age limit. Leave him."

The two soldiers ignored Cliffjumper and grabbed three other younglings and quickly left. The cell block door slammed shut and locked.

"Did you hear that, Screamer? What did they mean about the little one over there being _too young_?" Skywarp's optics widened with dread.

"He also said one of the younglings DIED!" Thundercracker shouted in shocked fury.

"Shh! Shut up you moron! Don't scare the little ones," Starscream hissed with fiery optics. He was furious. The leader of the Decepticons fragging LIED! He said no harm would come to the younglings and yet one of their sparks had extinguished!

Before the three brothers had a chance to debate further on the subject, something happened then that they did not expect.

To the bewilderment of the young Cybertronians, all of the guards in the prison block spontaneously ran out and left them all alone.

"That was weird…" Skywarp mumbled.

"Do you think this is a trick?" Thundercracker asked Starscream.

In answer to his question the building shook as a large explosion erupted somewhere outside above them. They listened for a while as what sounded like a war began to rage.

"I think our time has finally come for us to leave this pit-forsaken place…" Starscream reached into subspace and pulled out a small, jagged piece of metal. He found it laying on the floor of the Omega Youth Sector just before they were captured by the Decepticons.

His two brothers widened their optics in amazement.

"Starscream! You mean you had that in your possession the ENTIRE time we've been here?!"

Starscream shot his brother a sour look.

"Of course, you idiot!"

"Why didn't you show us that earlier?" Skywarp almost sounded hurt. The three of them rarely kept secrets from each other.

"Do you really think I'd let the guards see it?" Starscream frowned at his brothers. He reached an arm out through the energy bars and began to pick the locking mechanism. "Once we are out of this cell, we will free the others then try to find a way to get out of here.

A few minutes later, Starscream succeeded in deactivating the energy bars. The three elder younglings hastily scrambled out and hurriedly began to sweep through the cell block, unlocking all the cages as they did so.

"Younglings, stay as quiet as you can! Everyone, hold hands with your buddy next to you and follow us…" Starscream ordered as he boldly took charge. He led the way followed by Thundercracker. Thundercracker held the hand of one of the younglings and the little ones marched silently out single-file with clasped servos. Skywarp brought up the rear. Soon, Starscream came upon a door. He put a finger to his lip components in a silent warning and gestured for the line of younglings to move against the wall a few feet shy of the door frame. Starscream nodded at Thundercracker and sent him a brief instruction through their spark bond. They opened the door in unison and came face-to-face with a Decepticon guard.

Before the guard had a chance to react, Thundercracker knocked the gun out of the Decepticon's hand. Starscream leaped up and grabbed a pipe overhead and swung his legs out and kicked the trooper hard in the head with both peds. The guard slammed head-first into the wall opposite the younglings and shut down into repair stasis.

Starscream picked up the fallen weapon and left the unconscious Decepticon where he lay. He was quite tempted to shoot the fragger when he remembered that one of the younglings died at their hands. Perhaps there were even more casualties…

Starscream shoved the dark temptation aside and gestured for everyone to remain where they were.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to go scout ahead and try to find an exit!"

"Be quick Screamer."

The elder youngling nodded silently and slipped out of the door. Minutes passed and the smaller younglings began to grow restless. The longer Starscream remained MIA, the more worried his brothers became. Soon their fears were put to rest when the elder youngling returned. He didn't return empty handed either. He handed a blaster rifle, one to each of his brothers. There was a weapons rack lining one of the hallways he traveled in his search for an exit.

"Our path is clear. About 100 meters down the next three corridors is a grate in the floor. It leads down into an underground shaft. I think it may be our way out."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go already!"

The younglings hurried along as Starscream led them through a small maze of corridors. It was a miracle they hadn't run into any other soldiers. The three elder brothers figured it was because they were called out to fight, which meant that the Autobots had to be near…

Once they made it to the small grate in the floor, Starscream lifted it up and threw it aside. He managed to squeeze down and looked up at his brothers.

"Thundercracker, stand guard! Skywarp, start handing me the younglings!"

His brothers scrambled to carry out his orders. Thundercracker readied his weapon and couldn't stop the trembling in his hands. It felt odd to be holding a weapon. He hoped he wouldn't have to use it…

Skywarp lowered younglings down one at a time. He started with the youngest. Sunny, Sides, and Cliffjumper were the first to go. So far things were progressing smoothly. Half of the younglings were evacuated into the lower tunnel. That's when danger reared its ugly head. A small squadron of Decepticon soldiers spotted them and shouted.

"Sound the alarm! The younglings have escaped!"

Thundercracker fumbled with the weapon at first but then raised it and fired repeatedly in their direction. He hit the guard reaching for the alarm panel in the hand and then in the leg, dropping him. He shouted back at his brothers.

"They are coming! Hurry! I don't know how long I can hold them off!"

At that moment one of the Decepticons succeeded in activating the alarm. Now it would only be a matter of minutes before they were truly and hopelessly caught.

Starscream kept catching the younglings that were lowered down through the grate but had to stop when he heard the pounding of many feet echoing in the tunnel. He told the younglings that were down below with him to get behind him. He raised his gun and prepared to pull the trigger with a growl in his throat. Shadows appeared on the wall as the approaching figures slowly began to appear from around the bend. He squeezed off a shot and hit the ceiling, leaving a clean scorch mark.

"Don't come any closer! This is your only warning!" Starscream shouted as he fought to remain calm. He was stunned when the mechs revealed who they were.

"Younglings! Are you unharmed?" Optimus Prime ran up to Starscream and eyed the group of younglings cowering behind him.

"We're fine. Thundercracker is holding off the Decepticons just above us and we only got half of the younglings down here…"

Prowl, Jazz, Mirage, and Ironhide jogged behind Optimus pushing hover-skiffs.

"Alright younglings, those of you without alt-forms, board the craft immediately! Those of you that do, transform and follow Ironhide!"

The little ones were all too eager to leave that pit-forsaken place behind them.

Mirage and Jazz climbed up through the grate and assisted Thundercracker in holding the Decepticons back.

"Kid, you've done more than enough. It's time for you to leave!" Mirage grunted as he shot down another enemy trooper.

"I can fight! You need my help!"

"Those younglings are the ones that need your help right now."

Thundercracker nodded once and retreated. He slipped down into the tunnel after the last youngling, quickly followed by Jazz and Mirage. The younglings with vehicular forms drove single file behind Ironhide while Optimus, Jazz, Mirage, and Prowl pushed the hover-skiffs. Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp ran with the Autobots but didn't bother to transform. Jazz was concerned.

"Don' you guys have an alt form?"

The three brothers shared an embarrassed look.

"No. Not yet. We were going to receive our alt modes once we were released from the Omega Youth sector…you know, as a personal graduation ceremony."

"Hop on the transport, younglings," Optimus ordered with a no-nonsense tone of voice. While it was true that the skiffs were completely full at maximum capacity, the leader of the Autobots refused to leave any of the younglings behind.

"No way!" Starscream frowned.

"We can keep up just fine!" Skywarp added.

"That wasn't a request young one…that was an order."

They didn't have much of a chance to continue their argument for it wasn't long until the escapees and rescuers were pursued. Angry roars and shouts echoed in the tunnel behind them followed by the distinct sound of multiple transformations. Soon enemy vehicles were within shooting distance. Some Decepticons were ground based vehicles but a few were fliers. The fliers shot ahead of their comrades and attempted to cut off the Autobots.

A sudden revelation dawned upon the Autobots and younglings alike.

They weren't going to make it…

"Skywarp, Thundercracker, with me!" Starscream shouted as he slid to a stop and turned around to face the advancing foes. His brothers followed suit and the three stood side by side and leveled their guns on their enemies. It was in that moment that they transcended from civilians… to warriors. They grimly let loose a barrage of blaster fire. The least they could do was buy time for the Autobots to get the rest of the little ones to safety.

Mirage turned his head and looked over his shoulder. He screamed at the three elder younglings.

"What in the Allspark are you doing?! _RUN_!"

They ignored him and kept shooting. Soon they disappeared from sight altogether.

"Optimus, those three fell behind, what do we do?!" Mirage shouted with despair.

"We must get these younglings to safety. Then we will attempt to return for them."

"But Optimus, they will never make it!"

"There is nothing we can do for them right now. These younglings in our care are our first priority."

Optimus did have a point. The helpless younglings they were currently rescuing needed them more than the three eldest ones. Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp were old enough to make their own decisions. Mirage felt like he was ready to purge his tanks at the thought that those three younglings might already be dead.

Soon the Autobots made it out and were greeted by Ironhide's platoon. The Decepticons that had tried to cut them off and pursue them were terminated. The younglings had all been instructed to cover their optics and shut off their audios just before exiting the tunnel. There was no need to traumatize the little ones by exposing them to the horrors of their war.

The Autobots were relieved when the 183 younglings were safely onboard gunships. Optimus called off the frontal assault and had his army retreat. Mirage attempted to go back for the three younglings left behind but Optimus stopped him.

"Optimus, they could still be alive, we have to save them!"

"I'm sorry Mirage. There is nothing we can do for them now. They courageously chose to stay behind. What they did was noble and very selfless...and for that, we will honor them in our memory."

Their ship lifted off and Mirage slumped down in his seat and stared glumly at the floor with tears glimmering in his optics. He cared for those three younglings…probably because his younger brother was around their age.

"They are just _younglings._ They shouldn't have to be remembered.. _._ they should be able to _live_ to make their own memories." Mirage whispered softly as he held his head in his hands.

Optimus placed a comforting hand on Mirage's shoulder.

"What's most important is that lives have been saved…183 younglings will now _live_ because of them."

Mirage looked up at his commanding officer and nodded.

"Yes, Sir."

"We will return to base and see what we can do for our rescued captives. Many of them will need temporary homes until the new youth sector can be built."

"Let me know what I can do to help Optimus."

"I will. For now I suggest you take some rest. It's been a long day for all of us."

Mirage nodded and did as his commander suggested. He shut his optics and began to dream of days that were filled with light and laughter. A beautiful place that was unravaged by destruction…

* * *

Sunny and Sides were relieved when they made it to the safety of the Autobots' main base. The twins experience with the invasion of the Omega Youth sector and their kidnapping at the hands of the Decepticons had been all too frightening. Little Cliffjumper was also with them. He was a bit younger than them, give or take a few thousand years. Cybertronian life cycles were very long. An adult Cybertronian could live to be billions of years old. Now that war was consuming their planet, it would be a miracle if anyone survived to see their millionth.

Many of the rescued younglings were immediately sent out to other Autobot encampments further within Iacon. Only a handful stayed with Optimus and his team.

While it would be challenging looking after additional younglings, Optimus felt in his spark that it was a blessing from Primus. It was the right thing to do. The younglings were the future of their race and had to be protected at all costs. Maybe Bumblebee would gradually learn how to trust others and form healthy relationships…perhaps by befriending the twins and little Cliffjumper. Speaking of which, he needed to go and check on his sweetspark.

Optimus immediately headed for his quarters. He entered to see Bumblebee in a deep recharge, a small child sized wrench clasped in one hand. He was snuggling his blanket and had his other hand wrapped around mini Optimus's arm. He clicked occasionally in his sleep. It brought a smile to the Autobot leader's face. Wheeljack was sitting on the floor leaning his back against a wall drifting into a light recharge himself. He awoke when he heard the opening door.

"Optimus, it's good to see you Sir."

"How is Bumblebee?"

"He's fine. He was well occupied while you were gone. So occupied that he didn't once mention your name."

Optimus was a little surprised. That was the first…

"Thank you for watching him. Please report to your station."

"Sure thing Optimus."

The inventor smiled beneath his mask and walked out of the door. Optimus opened a com-channel with Ratchet and relayed his next order.

 _:Ratchet, I need you to examine our rescued younglings. I will display a sign-up roster for any soldier that wishes to harbor one of the younglings in our care:_

 _:Yes, Prime. I've taken the liberty of examining the twin younglings, Sunny and Sides. They are in perfect health:_

 _:Their friends Bluestreak and Smokescreen should be happy to hear that. Thank you old friend. I will expect a full report once you are finished:_

 _:Will do:_

Optimus smiled to himself. They recovered more than half of the younglings that the evil Decepticon leader had abducted. He could only imagine the look on Megatron's face right now…

* * *

Megatron was livid. The accursed Autobots STOLE his younglings! As unfortunate as that had been it wasn't a total loss. He still had 178 new recruits. They would begin their training immediately. Most of it would be mental and psychological to begin with. The little ones would become permanent members of the Decepticon army once they completed their combat training but that was quite a few years down the road.

To ensure the little ones didn't try to scamper off before they could be initiated by Soundwave, Megatron was sure to have tracking chips implanted into each of the younglings. Should any of them wander too far off of the premises, a locator beacon would activate and an electric current would rip through the child's nervous network and temporarily incapacitate them until they could be retrieved.

They belonged to him now. They would all learn that in due time.

Now he had three more rebellious sparks to contend with… he was pleased when the elder younglings that managed to severely injure a few of his soldiers were captured and brought before him after the Autobot's tactical retreat. He towered above them and felt his initial anger begin to subside.

"What are your names?"

Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp remained silent and if looks could kill, Megatron would be a pile of melted slag.

"I do find it rather remarkable that younglings such as yourselves managed to put many of my warriors to shame. How did you come to possess such innate combat efficiency? It's not often that those within your age category are even remotely capable of overpowering and even mortally wounding some of my experienced soldiers. That's a feat worthy of recognition."

Megatron began to pace back and forth in front of the three captured brothers. They didn't answer his question but there was no need. He knew they were untrained. The wounds inflicted upon his troops according to his medic, verified it.

"The three of you would make excellent warriors. You have true potential and all of you can be someone of great importance…one of you may even become my second in command one day. You never know…" Megatron smirked when he saw two of the three sharing glances as they considered his words.

Skywarp couldn't help but fidget the longer they were kept in the Decepticon leader's presence. He didn't like this mech…not in the slightest…

"So…what do you say younglings? Join us and become the greatest warriors that this galaxy has ever seen! There are many benefits in joining our cause."

"If you don't offer good medical benefits, retirement funds, and a decent life insurance policy, we're not interested," Thundercracker snorted with the beginning of a small smirk.

"And I highly doubt you offer any of that…" Skywarp leveled his gaze with the Decepticon leader even though Megatron's piercing look sent chills down his back struts.

"The _benefits_ you will have, will be unlimited access to our base, free energon rations, education in a class of your choosing, a career of your interest, combat training, and yes…we DO offer good health benefits…" Megatron chuckled in amusement at that last bit.

"I highly doubt that…" Starscream huffed with a glare.

Thundercracker and Skywarp looked at each other and then at Starscream.

"Maybe we should just accept his offer."

"I will do _**no such thing!"**_ Starscream snarled as he crossed both arms over his chest.

"You will join my army…or you will die," Megatron continued as he stopped his pacing to give him a pointed look.

"I'm not afraid of you…" Starscream spat venomously as he took a menacing step forward with a raised fist.

Megatron laughed. He liked this young mech's fighting spirit.

"If that's the case, then it shouldn't be too difficult for you to choose. You should listen to your brothers. They have the right idea…"

"I for one, will _never_ join you! You are a LIAR and a MURDERER!" Starscream exploded, unable to keep his rage pent up any longer as he pointed an accusatory finger at the Decepticon leader. Megatron shook his head in mock pity.

"Mark my words young one. Death will come to you on swift wings should you continue to defy me," Megatron glared at him then. This impudent youngling was starting to test his patience.

" _Why_ in the **pit** would I want to join your ilk when you lack all honor and have no regard for the lives of the innocent younglings you promised would be unharmed?! We would just be puppets to you! SLAVES!" Starscream continued to rant unrelenting.

"I only enslave Autobots and any other lifeform that proves to be otherwise inferior. As I promised before, you will become great warriors. The soldiers I currently command lack the potential you carry. You are worth more than all the energon and riches in the world…" Megatron practically purred as he looked at them with appraising optics.

Starscream felt his spark breaking when he saw his two brothers move forward to stand near the Decepticon leader. They looked at him with sad optics.

"Just do as he says. The Youth Sector was destroyed. We would have been released within a few months but with no home to call our own. Accept it…there is nowhere else for us to go," Skywarp said softly.

"That's hardly true! The Autobots would have taken us in had we followed them!"

"Ah, but they didn't, did they youngling? Tell me…after the Autobots saved the rest of the younglings…did they ever return for you? Did they even _attempt_ to rescue you a second time?"

Starscream's face fell and he looked down at the floor. His spark ached at the thought. He felt hurt. Abandoned. Betrayed.

"No. They left."

"Then what your brothers say is true. You have nowhere else to go. Stay with me. I promise I'll take good care of you…" Megatron's voice almost sounded gentle and reassuring. As a guardian would speak to, a helpless youngling.

"No! This is a trick, it has to be!" Starscream's optics widened with a disgusted look as he took a few steps back. He didn't believe him.

"What reason do I have to lie to you, young one?"

Starscream could hardly think of an answer to that question….but he still highly distrusted this mech.

"How can I trust you?" he growled with narrowed optics.

"I speak only truth! Join me now and you will be unharmed. Continue to resist me and you shall force me to take drastic measures. You _will_ pledge your allegiance to me. I won't take 'no' for an answer!"

"Well then. If that's the case _Lord Megatron…"_ Starscream snarked with great disdain.

Megatron looked the young mech clear in the optics with a frown of his own as he waited for Starscream to complete his sentence.

"My answer IS **'NO'**." Starscream smirked with satisfaction when the Decepticon leader growled at him with clenched fists.

" _What did you say_?" Megatron hissed icily as he took a couple steps towards him. Thundercracker and Skywarp watched the interaction between the leader of the Decepticons and their brother with wide optics and sparks filled with dread.

"Need me to spell it out for you?! N…O….means **NO!** " Starscream answered with his head held high in a haughty voice. He stood his ground as Megatron slowly lumbered towards him. He wasn't afraid. He could however feel the fear his brothers were feeling…they feared for him. They feared for his safety and for his life. Megatron wouldn't DARE hurt him! Not if he wanted to prove that he wasn't a liar and would hold true to his word! Clearly the youngling didn't know the tyrant half as well as he believed. Starscream thought he had this mech figured out but soon learned what became of those foolish enough to disrespect him.

Megatron grabbed Starscream by his throat and lifted him high in the air and choked him.

"You are a FOOL child…to disrespect me. Someday you will appreciate my…discliplinary methods…it's time you learned to respect your elders!"

Megatron threw Starscream aside and then summoned his guards.

"Take this youngling to prison chamber 156 and lock him in. No one is to have any contact with him whatsoever. He is not to receive any energon until I so order it."

"Yes, my lord," two Decepticon soldiers bowed before hauling a protesting Starscream out of Megatron's throne room.

Megatron gazed down upon the two younglings that had wisely chosen to join him.

"We were never properly introduced. What are your names younglings?"

"I'm Thundercracker and this is Skywarp..."

"And what of your insolent brother?" Megatron was all too eager to learn the name of the young mech. He had a good feeling that in time, that feisty spirited one would no doubt rise up within the Decepticon ranks.

Thundercracker spoke again after sharing a quick glance at Skywarp.

"His name…is Starscream."

"Starscream…" Megatron tested the name out for himself. He rather liked it.

That young mech currently imprisoned…had a great destiny ahead of him. Starscream couldn't see it now…but he had the true makings of a Decepticon. Megatron couldn't wait until the day, when Starscream finally bowed down... and called him… ' _Master'_ …

TO BE CONTINUED!

* * *

Author's Note: I'm really sorry this chapter was more about Starscream and his brothers but I had to fill it in since they played a role with helping the younglings escape. I can give you the hint of a spoiler by just saying that they will appear a few other times within the story. This sort of wasn't my plan to incorporate them but now that I have Sunstreaker and Sideswipe… well… you know how it is. Lol-Please leave me a review! :D


	8. New Friends

Author's Note: Sorry for a late update! No I haven't died lol. I've been sick. My little brother had to go to the ER and get his appendix removed…that wasn't pretty. . I'm currently juggling two stories and I got burned out writing so had to take a short break. Now I'm back! :D I want to give a special thanks to those that have reviewed! You guys rock! _[-Hands reviewers an energon pie-]_ x3

 **Chapter 8**

"Bumblebee! NO! You cannot touch that!" Optimus cried with alarm as he leaped out of his desk chair as if it had been doused in acid.

Optimus had to intervene and stop the very determined youngling from sticking his tiny digits in a nearby power outlet. The Autobot leader scooped the child off of the floor and tickled his sensitive midsection before the little one could further endanger himself. Bumblebee shrieked with laughter as he was captured and held in the loving arms of his new father. Optimus was still in the process of youngling-proofing his housing unit.

Bumblebee was a very curious child. While he was still considered very young, the little mechling proved to be a handful. Now that he had become more acclimated with his surroundings he was determined to explore every inch of his living quarters. He did so under the watchful optics of his guardian.

The tiny youngling babbled happily once he was placed down in front of his toys and completely forgot what it was he was trying to stubbornly get into beforehand once the sight of his sparkling sized wrench loomed into view. He had recently taken great delight in using it to knock down the miniature structures made out of building blocks that both he and Optimus constructed together. It wasn't long until Bumblebee needed another bottle of energon. The devout father kept his own personal supply for the little one within one of the storage units above his recharge berth for easier access. It saved him the time and energy of having to go to the opposite side of the base to retrieve some.

The longer the child went without his next ration, the more he began to vocalize his need for it.

"Alright, alright! My little impatient one…"

Optimus picked the youngling up and cradled him. The little one eagerly reached for the proffered bottle and shoved the tip in his mouth and began to suckle it down. The Autobot leader kept one hand on the bottle to help steady it. One of the yellow mechling's hands covered one of Optimus's large fingers as he was holding it and paused in his consumption to smile up at his adopted father. Optimus had to use a small cloth to wipe away some of the energon that dribbled down the side of the child's mouth.

"You have a beautiful smile, little one. Did you know that?" The Autobot leader cooed down at him.

Bumblebee answered with a cute giggle and then went back to finishing his energon. Optimus lovingly kissed the youngling's helm. At that moment the door chimed. The Autobot leader swiftly strode to the control panel next to the door and triggered the opening mechanism. He was greeted by Prowl and the two younglings that if Optimus recalled correctly, were the twin brothers, Sunny and Sides.

"Hello Prime. I'm sorry if I've disturbed you…" Prowl began once his optics locked onto the little yellow youngling in his leader's arms.

"Not at all. Can I help you with something?" Optimus smiled. He had the inkling of an idea as to why they had come to him.

"Sunny and Sides heard about Bumblebee from their other friends and wished to see him."

"I see. They are more than welcome to visit," Optimus gestured for the two new younglings to enter into his living room.

"Call me if for any reason, they misbehave," Prowl frowned with a serious look. It was the expression that sent many insubordinate Autobots running. He was a real stickler to the rules and was a law enforcer…in his own way.

"The younglings will behave," Optimus nodded. Without further ado, the two brothers darted around the Autobot leader's legs and entered his abode.

Prowl sent his two young charges one last glare before they disappeared completely into Optimus's quarters that promised punishment should they break their promise to behave, given to him minutes ago. His optics darted up to meet his Commander's amused expression and he scoffed.

"What?! Mark my words Optimus…those two are trouble!" Prowl hissed furiously once the twin younglings were out of audio range.

"Have you adopted them?" Optimus raised an optic ridge in silent wonderment. If his tactician really had, it would go down in the history books.

"No. Well…sort of, but not really. The other younglings have caretakers but no one has stepped forward yet to claim these two."

"Perhaps they've already found their home," Optimus struggled to maintain a straight face when Prowl became utterly flabbergasted and gave him the most horrified expression he'd ever seen from him in all his life. Prowl glared at his leader after he regained his composure.

"I'm taking care of them _for now._ I don't plan to keep them…"

"Sometimes my friend, destiny chooses you. I believe you would make an exceptional guardian."

"Over my off-lined body…" Prowl grumbled to himself as he shuffled off. He gave Optimus his final warning before departing.

"If Sunny and Sides misbehave…punish them without mercy!" he pointed a firm finger at him.

"You have my word," Optimus smiled softly. He watched his tactician retreat down the end of the hall and around the corner out of sight.

While it seemed as though Prowl loathed younglings, the truth was that beneath that gruff exterior, like Ironhide, he was one of the most caring mechs this side of Cybertron. He was all bark and no bite. Deep down, he was made purely of fluff. It was this part of his persona that he hid quite well. He did have a reputation to maintain after all.

Optimus went inside his living quarters and shut the door. A small fidget in his arms startled him. He'd nearly forgotten that he was still holding Bumblebee. It had become so second nature that Optimus felt that the little one was truly his. In his arms…the tiny mechling had shown him that there was no place he'd rather be. The previous uncertainty and fear he'd once had at the prospect of caring for the child had all but diminished.

"Why don't you play with your new friends?" Optimus went and sat on the floor with Bumblebee in his lap. The child eyed his elder playmates curiously. They scrambled over one another to get a better look at the little one. Sideswipe tumbled over his brother head-over-heels and landed on his aft with a small "oof" noise and grinned at Bumblebee.

"Hi! I'm Sides…that's Sunny."

The yellow twin stared down at his arm in horror to see a black scuff mark on his otherwise pristine frame.

"You scuffed my paint Sides!" Sunny squeaked in outrage. He moved to tackle his brother but Optimus stopped the little one by grabbing his scruff bar and held him up in the air out of reach of his troublesome twin.

"That's _enough!_ No fighting will be tolerated! You should be ashamed of yourself younglings. I expected you to be more mature than that," Optimus growled at them with narrowed optics that promised them severe consequences should they disobey him. Sunny and Sides nodded with wide optics as Optimus released Sunny.

The yellow twin lowered his head in shame and stared at the floor. The red twin cringed beneath the elder mech's harsh stare and suddenly found one of the walls very interesting. Bumblebee chirped as he crawled out of his guardian's lap and went over to the twins. He stared up at them in fascination and reached out a tiny-albeit hesitant-hand and touched the red twin's foot. The youngling looked down at Bumblebee and smiled.

"Hey, you wanna play now?"

Bumblebee nodded his head and then stood up. He reached for Sides's hand and gently led the elder youngling to where his heaping mound of toys were and began to play with him. Sunny joined in not long after and the three began to have fun. It was plain to see that they were already becoming fast friends.

Bumblebee grew tired of playing with toys a little while later and wanted to play "chase" with his new playmates. The twin brothers were already familiar with the game, having played it themselves when they'd been as young as Bee. Sunny and Sides taught the little yellow mechling how to play a similar game called "tag". Bumblebee loved this new game and laughed whenever he ran after one of the twins and touched them. He squeaked out a "you're it!" and made a run for it. He did this a few times until without warning, the little one tripped over one of his toys and fell hard on the ground managing to scuff his knee plating. The small child sat on his aft and cried. It was the first time he'd ever been injured…

Optimus had been keeping a keen optic on the three from where he sat on his chair. He occasionally skimmed over his officers' reports that were constantly being transmitted to his personal data-pad. They seemed to be never ending… Once he heard his youngling's cry of pain he immediately ran to the child's side. Bumblebee looked up at him with imploring baby blue optics and with tears leaking out of them, he reached his arms up in the desperate need to be held. The Autobot leader picked up the small child and went to his recharge berth and sat the child on his lap. He immediately noticed the small scrape. Bumblebee was still very fragile and was still in the process of developing a tough exterior. The child was going to outgrow his sparkling frame within the next few years. Until then, he was more prone to injury.

Optimus carefully examined Bumblebee's knee and saw that he'd scuffed off a layer of his plating. A little energon leaked out of the wound but that was to be expected. The little one continued to sob and buried his face in his father's chest after the small child noticed that he was bleeding. Optimus began to rock him and comfort him.

"Shh, little one. It's okay. It's only a scrape…it will get better," Optimus spoke softly as he began to tenderly wipe away his adopted son's tears that continued to leak out of his optics. He knew he didn't need Ratchet to tend to Bee's wound. It wasn't that severe. Optimus had basic first aid supplies in his quarters. The kits were standard issue to all military personnel.

Optimus set the little youngling down on his recharge berth and reached into his storage compartment. He pulled out the medical kit and pulled out a patch, some ointment, and a soft adhesive roll of first aid wrapping and set about tending to Bee's injury. He pulled the youngling back into his lap and kissed the little one's helm. All the while, Sunny and Sides watched silently from a distance and winced. They knew the pain Bumblebee was feeling. They'd had their fair share of scrapes and knew what was coming.

"My sweet-spark…I'm going to put this ointment on and it might burn a little…but it's going to make it better. I need you to hold still for me, okay?" Optimus kissed the youngling's helm and gave him a reassuring embrace.

"Okay," Bee squeaked with a small tremble as he watched his father prepare to rub the salve into his knee.

The moment the ointment made contact with his injury, the little one cried out in pain and couldn't stop himself from squirming. He tried to wriggle his way out of Optimus's arms with heartbreaking sobs.

"Oh my sweet-spark. It's alright…hold still, I promise it will all be over soon."

The yellow youngling had to stop his attempts to get free when his overworked vents overheated, temporarily silencing his cries.

"There now, the pain will go away in just a few minutes," the elder mech softly cooed once he'd succeeded in rubbing in the salve. It began to take immediate effect, stopping the energon from seeping out as Optimus applied the patch.

At that moment the twins appeared. They crawled up onto Optimus's recharge berth and were relieved when the Autobot Commander didn't dismiss them. Sunny and Sides both sat, one on each side of their new friend. They each held one of Bee's hands, lending him their support. Soon the tiny mechling's sobs died down into small whimpers. He leaned back against his father's chassis and began to feel tired.

Bumblebee watched as his father began to use the soft adhesive roll to wrap around his small leg over the patch to keep it firmly in place. Just as Optimus promised, the pain faded into a dull throb after the elder mech finished Bee's first aid treatment.

The red youngling holding the little one's hand looked at him with concern shining in his brilliant blue optics.

"Are you okay, Bee?"

The tired little one nodded silently. His head began to droop as his optics began to dim. He sought the warmth and comfort his father offered him and snuggled closer to Optimus's chest and listened to his spark thrumming in a powerful, steady rhythm. The child clicked softly and succumbed to recharge a few seconds later.

The twins shared a disappointed whine.

"Aww…he fell asleep? We didn't get to play that much!"

Optimus smiled kindly down upon the twins as they let go of Bumblebee's small hands.

"Bumblebee is still extremely young. He tires easily and needs to recharge more often than younglings your age. I'm sure that he'll want to play with you later."

"Okay…" the twins replied in unison with small grumbles.

"I'm going to call Prowl. He'll be here in a little while to pick you up," Optimus said softly so he wouldn't wake the little one nestled snuggly in his arms.

"Aw…do we have to go with him?" Sunny frowned with arms crossed. He clearly didn't like the idea.

"I'm afraid so younglings."

Optimus contacted Prowl a moment later via internal com-link and smiled down at the fidgety younglings.

"He's on his way."

Sides lowered his head glumly. Sunny on the other hand vented a sigh and went to sit against a nearby wall. He pulled his legs up against his chest and rested his chin on his knees and stared across the room with sullen optics.

 _What's wrong with these younglings? They're acting like they're about to be court-marshalled…_

Optimus ended his silent musings and decided it was best to confront them about it.

"What's wrong, younglings? Is Prowl not treating you well?"

The twins shared an unreadable look with one another and then both looked at Optimus. Sides was the first to speak.

"Well…he is kinda mean."

"Care to elaborate?"

Sides's face scrunched up into an adorable expression that spoke volumes of his confusion.

"What is 'el-lab-orate'?" the red youngling questioned curiously.

"It means, could you please explain further," Optimus smiled warmly at the child.

"Oh, okay…" Sides nodded in understanding.

"He is mean because he says we are always doing something wrong…we always get into trouble when we didn't even do anything!" Sunny leaped to his feet at that moment with fire in his optics. Clearly he was angry at what he believed to be an injustice and cut off his brother before he had a chance to reply, although he was mindful to keep his voice lowered so he wouldn't wake Bumblebee.

"What do you do when he says you are doing something wrong?" the Prime raised an eye ridge curiously.

The twins both vented identical sighs and Sunny shook his head with a small growl.

"We just have fun! We do funny things but people always get mad at us and then Prowl finds out…" Sunny trailed off as he began to innocently draw small, invisible circles on the floor with the tip of his foot as his shy side chose to come out at that moment.

"…and punishes us," Sides finished for his twin.

"Care to share one of those 'funny' things you do to people?" Optimus fought back a smile when it dawned on him. These two little ones…were _pranksters_. So that must be what Prowl was trying to warn him about.

"-He's also boring," Sunny quickly interjected. He crossed his arms with a pout when the door decided to chime at that moment.

"Okay younglings. I know that Prowl is strict, sometimes _too_ strict when it comes right down to it. I'll be sure to remind him that you are _younglings_ and not soldiers," Optimus softly chuckled as he crossed the room to answer the door.

The twins softly groaned and shuffled their feet as they began to slowly trail after Optimus. The Autobot Commander held a hand back to signal they stop their advance and remain where they were while he triggered the opening mechanism. He softly spoke to the bot waiting out in the hall and a few minutes later he gestured for the twins to join him outside.

Prowl was indeed there to pick them up. He was happy to hear that the younglings behaved themselves… _for once_. They behaved for Optimus…why couldn't they do that more often for him? That's when his leader gave him a parental 'pep talk' concerning the twin devils. Then to his utmost horror, Optimus had the gall to ORDER him to assume the role as permanent guardian and mentor to Sunny and Sides. The tactician internally groaned as his mind began to race. _Why him?!_ **Why** was Primus so cruel? Why did the twins have to be _his_ responsibility? Was Primus punishing him for some past transgression?!

Prowl suddenly felt ready to keel over into stasis lock at the true gravity of what this life sentence was going to entail.

 _Primus have mercy…_

Prowl suddenly felt energy deprived. He craved some high-grade energon in that moment. He felt that if he were to challenge Ironhide right now to a drinking game that he would surely beat the trigger- happy mech hands down.

The black and white Autobot looked down into the seemingly innocent faces of his two charges and vented a long-suffering sigh. Fate was far too cruel. It did give him a little satisfaction to see that the twins weren't all that happy with the arrangement either. He shuddered. He hoped that wouldn't backfire in some way, shape, or form. He gestured for the twins to return to his side. Prowl thanked Optimus for watching them and left, dragging the mischief-seeking younglings with him. The Autobot tactician could only hope that the twins would quickly outgrow such immature behavior. If they didn't…well slag…he didn't want to even consider that as a possibility.

 _Primus forbid…_

The mech rubbed a hand against his temple as though he had a processor ache and took the younglings to the newly constructed play-area designated for the younglings stationed on the base. He met Mirage and his charges, Bluestreak and Smokescreen. Sunny and Sides were overjoyed to be reunited with them and left Prowl behind as they ran off to play.

"Long day?" Mirage lightly laughed when he saw the disgruntled look on Prowl's face.

"You could say that…"

"What happened?"

"Optimus is punishing me…"

Mirage turned serious and frowned. What was Prowl talking about? He was the one bot in the entire Autobot army that NEVER got into trouble. As far as he knew, the tactician had never…not once…ever received even the _lightest_ reprimand. He had a clean record!

"What do you mean?"

Prowl vented a tired sigh and made a short hand gesture in the twins' direction.

"THEM. Optimus _**ordered**_ me to be their permanent guardian," Prowl raised his eyes heavenward as if silently asking Primus to save him. Maybe this was all a bad dream and he'd wake up soon…

Mirage stared blankly at his superior officer.

"You consider that a _punishment_? Why?"

"If you knew…you wouldn't be asking me that question," Prowl growled softly, once again rubbing his head.

"Care to explain?"

"No, not really. Those two…are double the trouble. Mark my words Mirage. One of these days, you'll discover the reason _why._ "

Prowl and Mirage sat in companionable silence for a little while longer until Mirage had to leave. His two charges needed energon and were overdue for recharge. He bid Prowl farewell and good night and left the tactician to silently ponder his future fate. If only Prowl knew what lay ahead…

Thank Primus he didn't.

* * *

Mirage returned to his quarters with Bluestreak and Smokescreen. They had all consumed their energon rations. Now it was time for the younglings to get cleaned up.

"Alright you two…time to hit the shower racks."

"Me first!" Smokescreen shouted as he ran for the door that led into the cleaning room. Smokescreen loved the feel of water running over his young armored frame. It felt good. He hummed happily to himself as he scrubbed his body with a bubbly cleaning solution. It had a pleasant aroma. He was still young however, to the point that he needed Mirage to help him dry off.

Bluestreak on the other hand didn't like water as much. He always had the paranoia that water would make him rust. The day he revealed that paranoid notion to his guardian, Mirage had exploded with laughter. Cybertronians didn't rust. EVER. Only shoddy pieces of scrap metal…NOT living metal, rusted. It didn't matter that Blustreak now knew that to be truth. He still didn't like water. So Mirage had been clever and made the first stage of cleaning worthwhile with the promise that he would polish the youngling's armor into a shiny finish with Mirage's very own 'big-bot' wax afterwards. His genius ploy paid off because after the first three cleaning sessions, Bluestreak was finally able to come to terms with washing time and suffered it without complaint.

After the two energetic younglings were freshly cleaned, dried off, and polished, Mirage tucked them into their separate berths. They finished their nightly routine which consisted of a bedtime story before recharge. Mirage would sometimes ask them what type of story they wanted to hear. The guardian had to decline Smokescreen's adamant demand for an action story, saying that such a tale would make them too hyper for recharge.

Bluestreak's soft voice broke the stillness of the night after silence settled upon the three occupants of the room.

"Mirage…can you tell us a story about when Optimus was a youngling?"

It took him by surprise that the youngling would request a story in regards to his Commander, especially when the little one didn't know Optimus as well as the other younglings. Then again, perhaps that was the reason behind the request…

"Why the sudden interest?"

"He's the leader of the Autobots…he hasn't always been, has he?" the youngling questioned softly.

The mech smiled and nodded.

"No. No, he hasn't. Alright, I know just the one. It's a story that Ratchet told my father, after which, my father told me."

Once he had their attention he began his tale.

"Once upon a time, long ago. There lived a young mechling, who dreamed of the day that he would become a warrior. Never knowing…that someday, he would change the world…"

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED!

Author's Note: Sorry this chapter is a little short. I'm struggling a little bit with the plot at the moment. I had plot points and lost all my notes that I'd written a while ago so now I have to start from scratch, hence my late updates. Thanks for reading and for not abandoning the story! Please leave me a nice review! :D


	9. Starscream's Imprisonment

Author's Note: Hey all! Sorry for the delayed update. As it turns out I'm now juggling 3 stories… x.x Sorry if updates continue to be slow. I'm doing my best! Thanks for reading, reviewing, and adding this story to alerts and favorites! :D

 **Chapter 9**

Starscream lost track of time. He'd been imprisoned for Primus knew how long. His cell was rather dark and it had been a while since his last energon ration. He had grown considerably weaker the longer they withheld it from him. It was rather cruel but Starscream had the feeling that it wasn't the worst thing they could possibly do to him. Megatron was punishing him just because he refused to join the Decepticons. The elder mech visited him once with the promise of freedom if he bowed before him.

 _Yeah…that wasn't happening._

The young bot opted to sit in a dark corner of his cell and simply brood. He wondered how his brothers were faring. He was quite disappointed that they didn't think their decision through when they joined Megatron. He had a feeling the Decepticon leader was hiding something and had ulterior motives. Why else would he be so interested in capturing younglings and 'initiating' them? Starscream knew what was really going on. Younglings were being brainwashed by Decepticon lies and propaganda. Many of them were too young to understand what was right or wrong. It seemed that in due time, Megatron would have a legion of perfect soldiers. Well, Starscream refused to be one of them.

He was startled when his cell door opened and a guard walked in.

"Time to go."

Starscreams optics lit up. Maybe he could overpower this guard and steal his weapon…

That hope was lost when two more guards entered the room.

 _Blast it! There has to be another way out of here!_

"I think I'd rather stay. This cozy little cell has quite grown on me," Starscream replied flatly with a glare as the two guards grabbed him roughly by both arms and began to physically haul him out.

He allowed them to take him and kept quiet. He knew they were taking him to Megatron. Where else would they go? So far the only terrible thing the Decepticon leader had done to him was imprison him, starve him of energon, and keep him completely isolated from contact with anyone or anything outside of his cell. Starscream wanted to prove to his brothers that Megatron was evil and that their choice had been the greatest mistake of their lives. All he had to do was goad the Decepticon leader into hurting him. Would that really prove anything though? So far that was his only bet.

Once they made it into Megatron's throne room, Starscream's hope was rekindled when he spotted his two brothers standing nearby. They looked at him silently with neutral faces. Skywarp was the closest one to any sort of an expression…and it sent chills down Starscreams back plating. It was a look of dread. Something bad was going to happen…

Starscream was brought directly before Megatron and the guards released him. The fiery spirited youngling shoved the closest guard further away from him with a snarl.

"Get off of me!"

Starscream then turned to regard an amused looking Megatron.

"I demand you release me at once! Why won't you take NO for an answer?!" Starscream mildly ranted with a glare.

"As I said the last time we spoke, I'm not giving you a choice, _Starscream…_ " Megatron practically purred.

It gave Starscream the creeps the way the Decepticon leader said his name. The elder youngling narrowed defiant optics at the towering behemoth.

"What do you have to gain in keeping me prisoner here?!" Starscream snarled. He began to feel weak due to the energon deprivation but he sure as the pit wasn't going to show any weakness in front of the tyrant. He continued to stand tall.

"You possess power you haven't even discovered yet, youngling. You are _destined_ to join me. I see in you the potential for greatness and glory! I'm giving you the chance to harness that power! Why do you continue to resist when there is so much I can offer you?"

"I don't trust you and frankly, I don't like you," Starscream glared at him with crossed arms.

He saw his brothers with wide optics silently waving and shaking their heads 'NO!' behind Megatron's back and silently pleaded with their brother to hold his tongue.

"My, my…you do have a temper. This is your last chance, Starscream. Join me willingly or suffer the consequences."

Starscream hesitated and appeared doubtful and couldn't help his morbid curiosity and had to ask the question.

"What sort of consequences?"

"Use your imagination," Megatron chuckled darkly.

That apparently didn't deter the youngling in the slightest. If anything it only made him all the more brazen.

" _ **Do your worst**_ …" Starscream growled lowly. He ignored his brothers who were getting more animated with their gesturing in silently pleading with him not to be an idiot and to just listen to the towering monstrosity.

Megatron chuckled darkly.

"Have it your way…"

The Decepticon leader nodded his head at two of the guards and gave the order that was going to seal the youngling's fate.

"Take him to Soundwave."

Starscream saw the two guards moving in on him and knew there was no way in the pit he was going to just stand there and let them take him without a fight. He caught them off guard. He punched one of them in the face and kicked the other one in the shin. The elder youngling knew escape was futile with Megatron standing right there in the room with him but decided then and there that if he was going down, he could at least say he tried. He lunged for one of the guards' fallen weapons but was hit with an unexpected EMP stun round fired from…

The world began to swim as Starscream began to lose consciousness. A few, hot energon tears leaked out of his optics when his vision made out the hazy but very distinct form of the pistol that shot him…

…held in none other, than the hand of his brother.

* * *

Megatron watched as an unconscious Starscream was hauled away and then looked at Thundercracker who lowered the pistol.

"Well, done. You performed admirably. I understand that performing such a task of that caliber may have made you feel…uncomfortable, but rest assured your brother will not be harmed. You will be rewarded accordingly and shall gain further prestige in the future should you continue to follow my leadership."

"Yes, sir."

"You are dismissed."

Thundercracker and Skywarp bowed before Megatron and then turned their backs on the Decepticon leader. They left the throne room with heavy sparks.

"What do you think will happen to Starscream?" Skywarp mumbled softly.

"I don't know. I'm sure he'll be alright."

"Do you really believe that?"

"Megatron promised not to harm him when he had Starscream locked up in his cell. He kept his word. I see no reason to doubt our leader now."

"I hope you're right."

Thundercracker remained silent as he headed for his personal quarters. He couldn't get the image of Starscream's anguished and disbelieving face out of his head. The act he performed was unthinkable. He betrayed his brother.

 _What have I done?_

He knew that he would never be able to undo what he did and that Starscream would probably never forgive him for it. Now away from prying optics and in the solitude and safety of his room, Thundercracker held his head in his hands and bitterly cried.

* * *

"One…two…three…"

Bumblebee giggled softly as he hid beneath Optimus Prime's large desk. He and the twins were playing 'hide-and-go-seek' and right now it was his turn to hide. Once Sunny counted to ten, he began his search.

"I'm gonna find you both!"

Bumblebee had a small hand clamped firmly over his own mouth to stifle his giggling. He didn't want to be the first to get caught.

"Ah-ha! Found you Sides!"

"Aww, man!" Sides grumbled grouchily with a pout as he crossed his arms. The red twin was better at seeking than he was at hiding. It was also very difficult to keep his twin from locating his exact position when the two shared a split spark and rarely ever bond-blocked each other. He abandoned his hiding place which happened to be inside an empty cupboard that was generally filled with mounds of data recorders.

"Now it's time to find you Bee! Come out, come out wherever you are!" the yellow twin laughed in a sing-song voice.

The little yellow mechling who was still hiding was quivering with anticipation. He was very good at hiding. He wasn't just UNDER the desk, he was behind the data-chip discard bin beneath it. It took the twins a good seven minutes before they finally found him.

"There you are!" Sunny laughed as he chased a screaming Bumblebee around the room. The rules were simple. The seeker once they found their prey also had to tag them. The little yellow mechling was a fast one. The three finally collapsed in a heap together once their game ended, all of them still laughing.

Optimus had been watching them from across the room where he was sitting serenely in his chair, going over one of his scout's latest reports. The leader of the Autobots had to admit it…but it was far more entertaining to watch the younglings play than to attend to his work. Many times his work was left abandoned and forgotten. He had to silently scold himself whenever he did that. His job as Autobot Commander was important and shouldn't be neglected. Still, he always made sure he found the time to enjoy moments like these. Optimus knew the younglings weren't going to remain children forever. He knew to cherish the time he had with them.

It was amazing that Bumblebee was up and running about so soon after his recent injury. The little one was having too much fun to care and quite frankly the little tyke probably forgot all about it. Soon Mirage came and collected all of them so that Optimus could finish his work in peace. He took the twins and Bumblebee to his quarters where Bluestreak and Smokescreen were waiting for them.

"Alright, who wants to watch a holo-vid?"

The younglings perked up immediately. They loved movies! They settled down and waited patiently while Mirage got it ready for them. Before long they were mesmerized by the youngling-friendly action thriller. Mirage was happy that younglings could be so easily entertained. It made his time as a guardian so much easier. Over the course of the next hour and a half, the younglings began to fall into recharge one by one, tired out from all of their playing no doubt. He draped blankets over them and then went about preparing their evening energon cubes.

He paused in his task and vented a long-suffering sigh. He often thought of the three elder younglings they weren't able to save during their last rescue mission. There were many times that Mirage was tempted to go on a solo, rogue recon mission just to see for himself whether or not they still lived and if there was any hope of getting them out of that pit-forsaken place. Optimus would never sanction it. They had suffered heavy casualties rescuing the residents from the youth sector and from Megatron's fortress the first time. Not to mention the Autobots needed to keep the location of their current base of operations secret. Optimus didn't like it any more than he did. Mirage hoped to Primus they were still alive and wondered if and when he would ever see them again…

Little did he know that on the far side of Cybertron, another spark wondered the same of him…

* * *

Starscream awoke with a groan and felt his tanks churn as a nauseating feeling washed over him. His head was pounding. He felt…different somehow but couldn't quite place it. The elder youngling sat up from where he'd been deposited on a recharge berth and noticed that the room he was in wasn't meant for prisoners but actual Decepticon troops.

…and the door was wide open.

He looked suspiciously around him and was dumbfounded. Why wasn't he in an actual prison cell? What kind of trickery was this?! Megatron wouldn't just let him leave…not after…

That's when Starscream remembered. It hit him full force like a wrecking ball and sent him reeling. He sat back down heavily and shook his head in denial.

No. Thundercracker would never betray him…

…and yet he had.

Starscream's optics narrowed and a growl built up in his throat. Hot, angry tears brimmed in his optics but he didn't dare let them fall. His brothers were the only ones he could ever trust. The only ones who would never abandon him. That trust was now in shattered ruins. Now he was practically by himself in this pit forsaken place! Starscream knew in that moment that his brothers truly were Decepticons and that he could never rely on them again. He was alone…

His thoughts drifted. Starscream sullenly realized that had he made a different choice back when the Autobots were in the process of rescuing the other younglings, he wouldn't be here now. In a way, it was his fault. He could have escaped with the others. Starscream knew in his spark that he had made the right choice in staying behind to buy the Autobots time to rescue the other younglings. He didn't think he would ever have been able to live with himself if one of the little ones had perished due to an act of selfishness.

He soon found himself thinking about that one Autobot, Mirage. He was a nice mech who actually seemed to care about him. He wondered what Mirage was doing now, or if the Autobots were even thinking about staging a second rescue. He highly doubted it…

If he ever did see Mirage again…would he greet him as friend or foe? Starscream didn't like entertaining the dark possibility that someday, he might actually turn on his former, would-be rescuer.

He stood back up and walked hesitantly towards the door and poked his head out to see if anyone was in the hallway. There were a couple Decepticon troopers and a few initiated younglings walking around but none of them paid him any mind. It was almost like he was invisible. Starscream couldn't ignore his instincts that were warning him that something about all of this wasn't right.

Megatron ordered his soldiers to take him to Soundwave. Soundwave was the one 'initiating' new recruits. Is that what had been done to him? Was his mind altered somehow? Starscream tested that theory.

 _Let's see… He still hated Megatron. He would like to be anywhere but here. The Decepticons were all fraggers. Nope. He supposed his mind hadn't been altered one bit. Then what happened to him?_

There was only one way to find out…and Starscream had the feeling he wasn't going to like it.

He walked casually out into the hallway and tried to blend in by making himself appear as if he belonged there. All the while he crept ever closer to an exit that would lead him outside of Megatron's pit-forsaken fortress. He wasn't sure whether to feel excited or terrified when he successfully made it out and no alarms went off or guards stormed after him. What game was Megatron playing?

Starscream didn't give a frag. All he wanted was freedom and so far it looked like he had it. He broke out into a run and made it about ten yards before a strong electric current raced through his nervous network ripping an agonizing scream from his throat. He crashed to the ground, completely immobile and felt tears welling up in his optics.

A few minutes later Soundwave and Megatron stood above him. Some soldiers picked him up and he hung limply in their grasp.

"The tracking chip you implanted appears to have been a success. Excellent job Soundwave," Megatron praised his communications officer.

Starscream felt numb. A tracking chip?

The leader of the Decepticons saw the dazed expression on the youngling's face and elaborated.

"The chip you've been implanted with not only tracks your location but activates a locator beacon that makes it possible to retrieve you should you wander too far off. Your nervous system was overloaded with an electric current that immobilized you long enough for our little reunion. Starscream, I'm afraid that you are here to stay. You have freedom to explore the grounds so long as you don't wander too far off. You are a permanent part of the family now," Megatron smiled with a dark twinkle in his eye.

Starscream silently cursed himself. He should have known better. He should have seen this deception coming. Freedom was a lie. He was still trapped here. Possibly forever, from the sound of it. He couldn't stop the tears from falling out of his eyes as he choked back a sob, his words coming out in a near whisper.

" _I hate you_."

Starscream felt trapped. He was in a living nightmare. He shuddered at what Megatron said next.

"Oh no, my dear Starscream…in due time, you'll come to _worship_ me."

The fiery light that had once burned bright and true within Starscream's optics dulled and faded. What fight he thought he still had left drained out of his body. He hardly registered or felt the soldiers that dragged him back inside the fortress and to the medical bay. He barely heard Megatron's words as he further conversed with Soundwave. He didn't even feel the mental intrusion as Soundwave probed his mind. The tickling sensation that often accompanied a medical scan was absent.

The only thing that Starscream truly and utterly felt…

…was his spark shattering into a million pieces.

TO BE CONTINUED!

* * *

Author's Note: Aww…poor Starscream! I'm usually not his biggest fan but writing him in this story, makes me want to hug him. Like I said before, writing about him is a big key to the rest of the story line. He plays a big role in the future plot. Yeah, I know this chapter has got to be the shortest one I've ever written but I knew that if I continued writing, it would ruin what I've already done. At least I updated right? ;) Please leave me a review and thanks for reading!


	10. Pranks and Mischief

+Author's Note: Hey guys! Thanks so much for your patience while I was moving. I'm in my new apartment now but I still have some unpacking to do. I'm also thinking about writing a secondary mini-story in addition to this one later that delves further into Starscream's past and the details concerning his indoctrination into the Decepticon ranks. I really can't do that in this story since the main focus is on Bee. Thanks for reading! :D

 **CHAPTER 10**

Many years passed until Bumblebee had grown to the Earth equivalent of a seven year old child. He was a rambunctious little guy and had a knack for causing mischief. His curiosity over the years had substantially, increased. The youngling would oftentimes try to enter the restricted areas within the base. The armory, firing range, training room, prison block, and command center were the main off-limits areas that were usually locked down tight with highly classified security codes. The offices for the higher ranking Autobot soldiers were also off-limits and were protected with mid-level security encryptions.

One day, Bumblebee recruited the twins to aid him in breaking into one of those off-limits areas. They were all too eager to help but their assistance came with a price. Their young friend had to help them pull off a prank first.

If only little Bee knew what he was getting himself into…

The twins, like Bumblebee, had also grown and were now considered pre-teens. They had an insatiable appetite for causing mischief, much to Prowl's chagrin. It didn't matter how many times they were punished. They were determined to have fun and were more than willing to pay the price. The twin devils were very clever and rather ingenious for their young ages. They were able to hack into some of the off-limits rooms via their handheld decoder and slice program that they had manufactured themselves. Their lessons with Wheeljack and Perceptor in regards to mechanical and electrical engineering courses paid off. Just not the way their elders would have preferred…

So far the twins hadn't been caught. Yet.

"Are you ready Bee?"

The yellow youngling nodded with a small smile.

"I'm ready. Let's do it."

The twins were able to reach the keypad next to the office door-frame by standing on the tips of their peds. They proceeded to hack the security code. Once the green light blinked on to indicate that the door was now unlocked, Bumblebee proceeded to scamper inside. The twins made a hasty retreat and watched from a distance.

Once Bumblebee made it inside the automatic lights flickered on. The owner of the office was currently absent and was not expected to return for at least another half-an-hour. More than enough time for Bee to set up the twins' trap. He followed their instructions to the letter and then made a fast getaway back out into the hallway.

"Is it ready?" Sideswipe questioned as he checked his chronometer.

"Yep."

Their prey arrived sooner than expected. The younglings remained out of sight and watched from behind a large stack of ammunition crates as the owner of the officer entered the recently vacated room and returned to his post. They waited with baited breath.

Nothing happened.

"I thought you set that thing!" Sunstreaker frowned with a small growl.

"I DID! I set it up just like you told me!" Bumblebee argued in his defense.

After another five minutes the officer left and began to walk down the hallway. The younglings' optics nearly popped out of their cranial units at the sight that greeted them. They had to stifle their laughs when other Autobot's in the hallway began to notice their handiwork…

Prowl abruptly stopped and growled at the nearest soldier.

"WHAT?! What is so funny?!"

The Autobot whispered in Prowl's audio trying to remain professional despite the choked laughs escaping his throat.

Prowl's optics widened in alarm and he craned his neck around. That's when he spotted it…

 _Bright pink, neon paint was splattered all over his aft._

The twins couldn't suppress their laughter any longer and howled uproariously, as they abandoned their hiding place. They leaned on each other for support as their laughing fit escalated even as Prowl marched up to them with a death glare that could have sent even the bravest Decepticon running. He immediately began to interrogate the twins.

They pointed out a very good question. If they had been the ones to do it…why didn't they run for their lives yet?

At this point Bumblebee innocently began to inch his way further and further away. His sneaky tip-toeing unfortunately, didn't go unnoticed. Something must have clicked in the tactician's processor. Prowl soon whirled on the black and yellow framed mechling with a dark look that could melt steel and started chasing him. The twins continued laughing and had been reduced to writhing on the floor. Some help THEY were…

Prowl screamed death threats and a list of punishments he would reap upon Bumblebee the moment he was caught through the duration of the chase.

Bumblebee was terrified beyond all measure. He'd never made ANYONE _this_ angry before… least of all Prowl. He squeaked with fright when he felt one of Prowl's fingers lightly brush his shoulder. That encouraged the youngling to kick it up a notch and poured on more speed. This had to be the fastest he'd ever run in all his young life…

He turned as many corners as he could, trying to shake the enraged tactician off his trail and spotted a utility closet to his right. He dove in and prayed that Prowl hadn't seen the closing door. He burrowed himself further into a dark, cluttered corner and held completely still when the mad pounding of feet stopped abruptly next to the door.

 _Oh no… this was it… he was doomed. Prowl would find him for sure…_

A couple of long, agonizing seconds passed and nothing happened. The mech soon continued on his way and didn't even bother to open the utility closet. Bee breathed a sigh of relief and tried to will, his rapidly beating spark to slow down as his over worked vents and other systems tried to cool down.

Just when he thought he was safe, the utility closet door was ripped open and the scowling face of Prowl glowered down at him earning a startled scream from the youngling. He closed his optics and curled up into a ball as he awaited a terrible fate. He was soon plucked out and held protectively against the chest of his guardian.

News reached Optimus of the incident that occurred and he had been able to find his youngling using the spark-link they shared. The Autobot leader had been worried when he sensed the panic and fear emanating from his little Bee and had set off to find him, only to run into the prank victim in question. Prowl stood just a few feet away, seething with rage. His optics burned with fire that made the little one tremble and bury his faceplates in Optimus's broad chassis.

"There is no way you can protect that little cretin! I'm telling you, HE is GUILTY!"

Optimus vented a long suffering sigh and looked down at Bee.

"Is this true?"

The yellow youngling nodded in the affirmative as he squeaked out a soft "yes" with tears shimmering in his baby blue optics while a lower lip trembled. The disappointed and disapproving look Optimus gave him hurt more than any reprimand could have.

"SEE?! There's your confession!"

Optimus shuttered his optics and pinched the bridge of his nose plate, releasing another sigh.

"I will see to his punishment personally, old friend."

Prowl had no choice but to agree and stomped away but not before Optimus caught sight of the end result of the prank adorning his tactician's rear. He couldn't stop himself from cracking a small, rather amused smile. The Autobot leader then glanced down at his disobedient youngling and frowned. He took Bee with him to his personal quarters. The little one was shaking he was so scared. He honestly didn't know what was about to happen. He'd never been in this much trouble before.

Optimus sat down with the youngling on his knee, his facial expression softening.

"Tell me what happened Bumblebee."

The child sobbed and squeaked out his side of the story. He had no idea he was pranking Prowl and that the twins had no part in it. Just the truth. After he was finished, Optimus gave him a soft smile as he wiped the child's tears away.

"Child, I'm not angry with you. You told the truth rather than attempt to place the blame on someone else. I'm very proud of you."

Optimus then said something that Bumblebee would never forget as the elder mech placed a large hand over the youngling's chest plating.

"You have a good spark Bumblebee…never lose it."

Bumblebee smiled and snuffled his guardian as their spark-link was flooded with love. The child's face fell and his expression turned stony at what Optimus said next.

"Now my sweetling…you must learn to face the consequences of your actions. I will speak with the one you have wronged and decide what your punishment shall be. It's only fair that he make suggestions," Optimus gave Bee a small smile. The elder mech then set the little one down on the floor, expecting the child to run off and play. He was surprised when the youngling didn't.

Bumblebee requested that Optimus continue his tutelage in regards to the history of their world and the deeds of their race. His guardian was quite the historian and was full of knowledge. His lessons sometimes made his processor spin. Bee was always eager to learn more. The Prime was very good at telling stories.

He learned about Primus and Unicron and the creation of all life in the universe as well as the never-ending destruction that evil wrought. Bee listened intently as Optimus told him about the original thirteen Primes and about the Fallen. Unicron and the Fallen were defeated and cast out-Damned for eternity but would not remain so. It was foretold that someday the Evil One would return. The youngling was surprised when Optimus revealed that sometime after the original Cybertronians were created and began to procreate that some of their children defied Primus and in an act of rebellion attempted to resurrect Unicron. A few of the orginal Primes were forced to slay their own children to prevent the Chaos Bringer's return. It had been a tragedy but it would serve as a constant reminder to following generations concerning the dangers of falling to evil's sway. Thus Bumblebee learned what 'temptation' meant and the catastrophic consequences for giving in to them. Optimus warned the child that should he ever choose in the future to turn his back on Primus, their Lifegiver, and surrender his spark to Unicron…he would be eternally damned.

Then the youngling got to learn about the history regarding Megatron and the rise of the Decepticons and came to discover that the evil Decepticon leader was a Unicron worshipper. Optimus carefully explained that Unicron was the father of lies while Primus, his rival, was pure truth. Megatron was well known for his deception and lying spirit. Bee was riveted to Optimus's story-telling and his optics never left him for a single astrosecond.

"If ever you find yourself in doubt Bumblebee…listen to your spark. It never lies," Optimus stroked Bee's cheek with a gentle finger as he gazed down on him with all the affection a father could bestow.

"Okay," Bee chirped as he hugged him.

"Now why don't you run along and play?"

"Okay!" The youngling gave him one last hug and then bolted for the door. He ran into Cliffjumper just outside and the two young bots' immediately began to talk. About what, the Autobot Commander didn't know. He smiled softly as he watched the little one wander out of sight and then opened up a private communications line with Prowl.

It was time that they discussed the details concerning Bumblebee's punishment…

* * *

"Move along Decepticon scum!" An Autobot soldier pushed a prisoner into an awaiting prison cell with the business end of his blaster rifle.

The Decepticon in question turned around and sneered at his captor.

"Do you treat all of your prisoners this nice?"

"Only the ones who deserve it," the Autobot shot the prisoner an annoyed look.

"And to think, even Megatron treated his young captives better than this," the Decepticon scoffed as the Autobot soldier gave him one last shove.

The Autobot ignored him as he activated the cell's energy bars. They flickered on with a steady hum of solid, electricity.

"What do we do with this other one?" One of the guards questioned as he motioned towards the smallest prisoner who was shackled in stasis cuffs.

"Put him over there in that vacant cell," the soldier commanded.

The two guards did as they were ordered and locked the youngest prisoner in before resuming their posts. They stood rigidly at attention. Once satisfied that their captives were not going to be leaving any time soon, the soldier that roughly escorted the prisoners in, left the brig.

The Decepticon youngling sat silently in his cell and watched the two guards with calculating optics. He had a mission to complete and so far…everything was going according to plan. The elder Con turned to regard his younger comrade and began to mock him.

"Some Decepticon you turned out to be. You became an Autobot prisoner the first week out on patrol. Congratulations kid. You're a disgrace…" the elder Con spat with contempt.

The youngling remained silent and didn't bother looking the other in the optic and chose to focus his gaze directly ahead. His posture was completely relaxed as he sat cross legged with hands out in a meditative state.

"What, you're not going to grace me with a response? You really should respect your superiors…" the Con continued as his demeanor grew darker.

The elder Con imprisoned in the cell next door was playing his role rather well. The youngling just hoped he didn't bury himself in the part…

The youngling continued to ignore him. It seemed to infuriate his companion all the more.

"You should ANSWER me when I'm TALKING to you! You damned scraplet…"

"Shut up or shut down Decepticon!" One of the guards ordered with a growl.

"Stay out of this Autobot punk! This don't concern you…"

As the elder Con continued to harass the child, the Autobots grew more and more agitated. They began to shout at the prisoner and eagerly jumped to the little one's defense. Autobots. So predictable. A small smirk gradually formed on the youngling's lip components.

 _Oh yes…things were going_ _ **exactly**_ _as planned._

* * *

Bumblebee ran into the twins again sometime after Cliffjumper was called back home by his guardian. At first he didn't want to talk to them and gave them the silent treatment but in the end he just couldn't stay mad at them.

"We promised to get you inside wherever it is you want to go! So, how about it?"

"Which compound shall we break into first?" Sideswipe grinned as he held up his hacking device.

Bumblebee hesitated. He was already in enough trouble with his father and Prowl. If he got caught…

"You won't get caught," Sunny encouraged him almost as if reading his thoughts.

"We will be your lookouts and will let you know if anyone is coming."

"If anyone catches us…we promise that WE will take the blame this time, okay little buddy?"

After a moment of silently debating with himself, Bumblebee finally relented.

"Okay. I need you guys to get me inside the prison block."

"The prison block? Seriously?" Sideswipe looked at him with extreme confusion. If anything, the red youngling would have thought that Bee would have wanted a closer look at the armory and the mounds of weapons stashed inside that lovely treasure hoard of raw firepower.

"Yeah. I know it sounds dumb. But I heard that the Autobots captured a Decepticon youngling…I want to go see who it is."

The twins shifted uncomfortably and shared doubtful looks between themselves.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea little buddy. That's like…the WORST possible off limits area in the entire base."

"We would ALL fry for that one if we get caught," Sideswipe cautioned.

"Please you guys? Come on…I took the full blame for your stupid prank earlier!"

"Bee…you're talking about the _BRIG_! The worst **war criminals** go there!" Sunny argued with a huff.

"You guys owe me!" Bumblebee angrily stomped the floor with one foot and crossed his arms with a defiant glare.

Sides took a step in front of his brother and placed a hand on his twin's arm.

"Come on Sunny, the prisoners are all locked up. What harm would it do for Bee to take a quick peek?"

The yellow twin scowled at his brother as he waged an internal war between loyalty and logic. Eventually he made his choice.

"Fine. I'll help. BUT we are forgetting something…there are security cameras watching the brig. And there are two armed security guards down there."

"Leave the guards to me."

"I guess I'll be the one to take care of the cameras…" Sunny massaged his forehead as if he had a processor ache.

"Great, then let's get started!"

"This is such a bad idea…" the yellow twin grumbled as he headed off to cut the camera feeds. There was a circuit breaker panel just down the hall. All he had to do was cut the main power cable and cross two others to prevent the back-up monitors from activating. Once he was in place he contacted his brother.

::I'm all set Sides::

::Give me a minute. Still working on the guards::

::Tell Bee he will only have about five minutes before the security team realizes the cameras have been tampered with and come to investigate with a whole squadron::

::Will do::

Sideswipe had Bee hide while he activated a voice modulator. He opened the door and called down the stairs disguised as the voice of none other than Optimus Prime.

"Guards! I need you to report to Ironhide immediately for a weapons check. Someone will be down shortly to relieve you."

"Sir, we cannot abandon our post until we have been relieved in person."

"Are you defying a direct order soldier? Perhaps you would like to spend time in the brig…"

"I'm sorry, Sir. Protocol dictates that-"

"Insubordination will not be tolerated. I COMMAND you to report to Ironhide immediately!"

"Yes, Sir."

Sideswipe tried very hard not to break down in a fit of laughter in between his rather clever dialogue. He went and hid with Bee just as the two troopers emerged from the prison level. They looked around in confusion.

"Where is Optimus?"

"How the scrap should I know? Look, orders are orders. We need to go."

"What about the prisoners?"

"The prisoners are locked up and they are being monitored by our security cams. They aren't going anywhere. Besides, Prime said someone will be down in a minute to watch them for us. Let's just go and get this over with…"

The two troops left, leaving the brig unguarded.

::Now Sunny. The guards left::

Sunny disabled the security monitors while Sides kept watch just outside the door.

"Go ahead Bee. Just be careful. Don't get too close to the prisoners. AND HURRY! We don't have much time."

"Okay," Bee scrambled out of his hiding place and headed down the stairs. He slowed his pace and stopped on the lowest step when his optics caught sight of two Decepticons. One was a large, brutish orange and black armored mech that sort of reminded him of an evil Ironhide. That Con was recharging. The other WAS a Decepticon youngling!

Going against his better judgment, the curious Autobot child approached the cell of the smallest prisoner. The young mech appeared to be meditating but opened his blood red optics when he heard Bumblebee approaching. He slowly stood and regarded the yellow bot.

The two simply stared at each other.

Bumblebee was the one to break the silence.

"What's your name?"

"Deathbringer. What's yours?"

"Bumblebee. How did you get a name like 'Deathbringer'?" the yellow youngling questioned with mild confusion as he cocked his helm to the side.

"It's a Decepticon thing. You wouldn't understand," the black armored mechling responded with a small smirk.

The two resumed their staring contest. Now it was the Decepticon youngling who broke the silence.

"You would make a good Decepticon Bumblebee. I can see you were clever enough to disable the security feeds and lure the guards out. I couldn't have done it better myself."

"I had help," Bee replied flatly as he narrowed optics on the other.

"Even so, you have talent. Megatron could use a bot like you."

"Thanks but no thanks. This is my home."

Unbeknownst to Bumblebee, the elder Con had been faking recharge and had been listening to the young ones' conversation the entire time. He cracked an optic open to catch a glimpse of the yellow mechling and snapped a picture. The Autobots were all fools. They never knew that he was a plant. Ever since his capture he had been documenting every surrounding detail. He now knew the number of troops stationed at this outpost, their firepower, the number of younglings currently in the Autobot's possession as well as their current location. And the bots were going to be in for a grand surprise once his little companion revealed the truth behind his capture. He closed his optics again and resumed his 'recharge'.

Bumblebee's attention was jerked away momentarily when a familiar voice echoed down to him from the top of the stairs.

"BEE! IT'S TIME TO LEAVE!" Sideswipe hissed down at him.

"OKAY! I'M COMING!"

Bee turned to wish the other youngling farewell, only to notice that he had a small gash on his arm.

"You're bleeding!" the yellow mechling gaped in disbelief. Why hadn't the elder Autobots seen to his injury? Wait a minute. Come to think of it…Bee was almost positive the wound wasn't there a moment ago.

The Decepticon youngling looked down at his arm in mild shock and clamped a hand over his wound to stem the blood flow.

"Wow…how did that happened…" the black mechling muttered to himself.

Bumblebee looked around for something in which to help the other youngling and found a small polishing cloth next to one of the guards' computer terminals. He rushed back over with a concerned frown and handed it to the black mechling.

"Thanks…" the Decepticon youngling looked genuinely grateful as he reached a small, energon smeared hand through the energy bars. In the process of taking the proffered cloth, some of the energon that was on the wounded mechling's hand got smeared on Bumblebee's wrist guard. He looked apologetically at the Autobot and gave him a sheepish smile.

"Oops…sorry about that."

"It's okay. I'll wash it off later."

"BEE HURRY UP!" Sides shouted down sounding a little frantic.

"Looks like visiting hours are over," Deathbringer sighed as he held the cloth over his wounded arm.

"You know…you are a strangely polite Decepticon…"

"Really? How many Decepticons have you met?"

"Besides you? None."

"Before you return to your Autobot pals, consider this-not every Decepticon spark is evil." He looked at Bee with an innocent face.

"BEE COME ON!"

"I gotta go!" Bee shouted as he began a hasty retreat.

"Nice meeting you Bumblebee!" the black armored mechling shouted after him. As soon as the yellow Autobot youngling was out of sight, a dark smile formed on Deathbringer's face as his entire demeanor changed into one of wicked delight. The elder Con sat up from the recharge berth he had been resting on and shot the young Decepticon mechling a toothy grin.

"Good work, kid. The Autobots won't even know what hit them. By the time they figure it out, it will be far too late…"

Both of the Decepticon prisoners resumed their previous activities as the original Autobot guards returned to their posts. The youngling slipped the energon soaked cloth into his subspace when the guards weren't looking.

 _Megatron was definitely going to be pleased with their success…_

TO BE CONTINUED!

* * *

Author's Note: I know, Cliff hanger… *sigh*…please don't hate me?! Oh and can ANYONE guess what exactly Megatron's evil plot entails regarding the interaction between the two younglings? I'll give you a large energon cake for the first person who figures it out! ;)

HINT: it was mentioned in two of the Transformer Prime episodes.


	11. Story on Hold

Author's Note

Sorry that this isn't an actual chapter. I began the next chapter but couldn't finish it. I have the worst case of writer's block that I've ever suffered in my entire life. Plus I have real life issues. Trying to get a job. Health stuff. Etc. This story I'm afraid I have to put on hold for a little while. Just a temporary hiatus. I might rewrite this story. I'm not very happy with what I've written so far.

Thanks for sticking with me and for adding me and this story to alerts and favorites!


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